The Chimera Girl: Book 1
by TheCastleOfLionsAndPaladins
Summary: My name's Celina Tucker; adopted daughter of the Tucker family & friend of the Elric Brothers, who aren't actually brothers at all since one of them is a girl, but that's a secret. I was just a normal, perfectly human 7-year-old girl when I first met the Elrics; this is the story of my life with them at that time & a bit after. M for mentions of rape during/after Chapter 22. Fem!Ed
1. The Elric 'Brothers' Appear

Ding dong ding!

"DADDY!" Nina called, smiling, "I hear someone at the door."

"I'll get it!" I called.

I finished washing the dishes I was doing, dried my hands, stepped off my stool and ran for the front door.

HOWL! "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" CRASH!

 _Uh-oh, I think Alexander's in trouble again..._

I reached for the door handle and pulled it open, Nina and Tucker just behind me.

"You can't do that and you know it, Alexander." Nina scolded in her childish-no-nonsense voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tucker apologized, bowing his head.

The boy who was being crushed by Alexander looked up from the ground and stared at Tucker, "You're… Tucker-san?"

He had golden blonde hair in a braid, golden eyes and tanned skin. He was wearing a mostly black, leather out-fit with a red coat over it and looked rather short.

"Gomenasai!" I called as I ran over to the boy.

Once I reached them, I scowled at Alexander and said in the most mature voice I could, "Alexander, please get off the boy or no biscuits for a week!"

Alexander's big ears flopped down even more then they normally are and he stopped wagging his tail as he got up and off the boy. I sighed and held my hand out to the boy.

"Sorry about Alexander, he can get excited around new people, that's all." I smiled at him as he took my hand, "I'm Shoko Celina Tucker, Shou Tucker's adopted daughter. The girl is Nina Tucker, my little sister, the man behind her is Shou Tucker the Sewing Life Alchemist and you've already met Alexander."

"I'm Edward Elric and this is my younger brother, Alphonse Elric. And the old man is Lieutenant Coronal Mustang, the Flame Alchemist." The boy said, smiling at me and gestured to the suit of armor and black haired man in uniform behind him.

I smiled back at him, tilted my head and giggled, "Nice to meet you, Edward-san, Alphonse-san and Mr. Mustang!"

 _That was how I met the two 'boys' who changed my life. In the front yard of my step-father's house on a late autumn morning with a military man at their side and a dog at mine._

Tucker invited Edward, Alphonse and Mustang into his house, apologizing as he picked up books, "Yeah, I'm terribly sorry about all this. We don't really have a woman's touch around the place to keep it clean anymore. It's like this inside the rest of the house, too."

I sighed as I helped with picking up the books, "It's my fault, really, I'm the one who's supposed to keep this place clean."

Our guests seemed a little bit surprised by this, but let it slide so they could get on to more important matters. Nina wasn't having any of it, though.

"Wow!" Nina grinned as she grabbed Alphonse's hand clad in leather and looked up at him with innocent bright eyes full of wonder, "Bigger Brother's cloths are funny. Aren't they heavy?"

Alphonse didn't seem to mind in the slightest and based on his voice, I think he was smiling, "It's alright. Big brother is very strong."

Nina hummed in amazement while Alphonse noticed Tucker was staring at him. If he wasn't my step-father, I would have kicked him for staring. Sure, it's not normal to see a boy walking around wearing armor, but that's no good reason to stare.

"I'm sure you'll have a chance to discuss their natures at some point." Mustang stated, cutting into the situation for the first time, "Until you do, just accept them."

Tucker's eyes were wide with shock and then he turned to Nina and me, "Okay, Nina, Celina, go play outside."

Nina and I moaned our protests, me speaking up, "But we never have guests and this place is a mess. At least let me make it more presentable before you all settle down for coffee or something."

"Alexander is probably lonely and he hardly gets to play with you, Celina. Both of you can keep him company." Tucker insisted.

This was weird. Tucker never 'insisted' us to do things. I'm just gonna have to play along for now. Nina and I sighed one more time.

"Okay then, I'll see you later." Nina turned and smiled at Alphonse and then was out the door, with me hot on her heels.

As soon as it was closed, I knew they'd start talking so I sat down on the steps and leaned back on the door in an attempt to listen in. I know it's rude to eavesdrop, but I wanna know what's going on and why Tucker doesn't want us there.

"Who would have thought you'd aspire to be State Alchemists at your ages… If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know, okay?"

"Well, Tucker-san, I'd like to have you show us the Chimera you transmuted."

"Me too."

"…Oh, it died not long after it was transmuted, you see."

I heard Edward and Alphonse gasp, I almost did, too. I knew Tucker got his license because he transmuted a talking Chimera (it's the main reason I never call him Shou or Dad) and that he's never let anyone see it, but I had no idea it was dead.

"Anyways, passing marks comes first. It will take more then just an overnight effort to pass this test."

I heard their foot-steps walking away and used the time to gather up what I'd learned.

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two kids about 12/11-years-old who came to Tucker with Mustang because they want to enlist in the military as State Alchemists and to see his talking Chimera, that neither of them knew was actually dead.

Something stinks here and I'm gonna find out what...

I opened the door, stopped breathing for a moment and listened out for anything. I heard the clanking of metal and mismatched foot-steps heading for my sanctuary AKA the library and went there, taking extra care not to step on any creaky flour-boards or land too fast and hard on the flour. I glanced over the corner of the wall, only to turn back around and press my back against it since they were still out-side of the library and if I stepped out, they would probably see me. So, I listened once more.

I heard the lock being opened and the creaky doors allow entrance into the library. I heard Edward and Alphonse gasp in astonishment.

"This is the materials room. You are free to use it."

"This is incredible, Brother. It's full of books I've never even seen!"

"The materials in here are just a fraction compared to what they have at the National Central Library. If you pass the test, you can get materials that will give you dozens-no, hundreds of times more knowledge then this."

"Is that right? Brother, we should get busy-"

For a while, all that was heard was the grandfather clock ticking away; if you could call it ticking, at least.

"Oh, brother…"

I think I heard Mustang chuckle.

"I will take my leave now, since my attention is probably needed at Central Headquarters."

"Oh, yes of course, I will see you later Colonel Mustang."

Knowing I would be spotted if I didn't move now, I dashed down the hallways, back into the front yard and got into a playful leaf fight with Nina and Alexander.

* * *

An hour before everyone normally has dinner, I went back into the house to start making it. Today, I was cooking mashed potatoes, beef and for a side dish some salad and bread buns. After leaving it to cook for about 30 minutes, I prepared the table and 10 minutes before it would go off, I called everyone to the dining room and served them their food.

For a while, the only sound that could be heard was the clinking of cutlery on the plates, when Tucker spoke up, "Ed-kun, making any progress with your studies?"

"Yeah, some." Edward confirmed, smiling sheepishly, "But there's so much stuff here that I didn't know."

Tucker smiled in understanding, "The test is hard even for adults who have received special education. But you're still so young. You needn't force yourself to worry about taking it this year."

"No…" Edward disagreed and got a faraway but determined look in his eyes, "I'll try to do everything that I can, no matter how slim the possibilities are of me passing. If I can keep moving ahead…"

And that was when I finally noticed it. His eyes... They held within them a story of tragedy that stared a young boy reaching for redemption...

Don't ask me how I can tell this, I've always had this 'ability' to see these things deep inside people whenever I look and try to really see them for the first time. Even when I was little, I've had this ability to read people. Maybe it's because I've seen my fair share of demons to...

Nina made a sound of disapproval, "Bigger Brother, you haven't eaten anything!"

And that was another detail I had failed to notice until now. Dang, whenever I go into my "zone" I end up missing everything else!

Nina pouted, picked up one of the bread buns and held it up to Alphonse, "That won't do! You have to make sure to eat!"

"Huh? Ummm…" Alphonse raised his hands as if to decline the offer and turned to face Edward, but after sharing a look, Alphonse relented, took the bread from Nina and said, "Thanks. This sure does look delicious."

"Be sure you chew it well!" Nina added in a bossy tone.

I chuckled and ruffled her hair, "Come on, Nina, don't be so bossy or you'll end up scaring all the boys off when you're older."

"But Celina-chan…" Nina whined, "I don't wanna have a boyfriend!"

I laughed and grinned at her, "You don't now, but that's a good thing, just means they'll be after you like a shot the second you hit puberty!"

Nina tilted her head in confusion, "Celina-chan, what's puberty?"

"It's how little kids become big kids, sweet-heart." I explained, grinning, "And then after they become big kids, they become teenagers and then, well, you know where I'm going with this. In fact, if you have any questions on puberty, you should ask Edward-san since he's old enough to be going through it right now."

"Wha-what?!" Edward explained, suddenly flustered.

I laughed and grinned at him, "I'm just kidding minna-san! If Nina needs puberty advice, she should come to me since I'm the only other female in the house!"

"But you're only 5, Celina, you don't need to be thinking about that stuff just yet." Tucker chuckled.

I shouted at him with my face red with anger, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO IMMATURE THAT SHE COULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE 5 WHEN SHE'S REALLY 7?!"

Never. Call me. Anything younger then what I am. I don't mind being called 9, kid or anything like that but anything under the age I am is going to get you your butt blow off with my yelling. I hate being called an immature kid.

Everyone at the table burst into laughter while I pouted and glared at them.

I am not immature. I am a strong, capable and very able young woman even if I'm legally still a kid.

* * *

The night, as I was walking down the halls and doing a little bit of dusting, I passed by the Elric's rooms.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah. My head is too full of all the things I learned."

I should probably go; I know I have a bad habit of eavesdropping and I need to work on it.

"Oh, yeah. Say, sister-"

Sister?! Oh, there is no way I'm leaving now!

"Al, be careful, someone could be listening!"

"But it's the middle of the night and I can't hear anyone outside our door and besides, even if you act like and are pretending to be a boy, it doesn't mean I can't occasionally call you sister."

"Fine. But, you were saying…"

Oh my gosh, Edward's a girl! Shoot, I shouldn't have learned about that this way!

"I'm sure you'll be able to pass the test, sister. So you should at least get some good rest at night."

"Yeah, I know…"

"It sure takes me back the way this all feels."

"Yeah, it sure does… Goodnight, Al."

"Night, Ed."

With that, I went on my merry way and updated the situation at this house in my head:

There are 2 males living here (Alphonse and Tucker) and 3 females (Myself, Nina and Edward), one of which is pretending to be male for unknown reasons. It's my job to keep the house clean, Tucker's to keep owner ship of the house, Nina and Alexander's to make sure we remember to eat and take breaks, Edward's job to make it through the exam and Alphonse's job to help his 'brother'.

Dang, I knew things were messed up in this house the second I stepped onto the grounds.

* * *

For the next month, life went on as normal as the snow began to fall. The Elrics studied, Nina and Alexander played, Tucker locked himself in his room and did his research and that left me doing all the other jobs in and around the house. Every once in a while, Edward and Alphonse would offer to help me, which I appreciated and would normally accept.

Right now, I was washing the dishes from this morning's breakfast when I noticed that the stove was on. And that is really weird, I mean, we didn't even use it this morning! I dried my hands and went to turn off the stove and after I did, I turned around to do the dishes again-

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" THUMP!

Before I knew it, I had tripped on something and landed flat on my face, shocked to the core and hurting like heck. I heard Alphonse running down the halls.

"Celina-san!" Alphonse gasped as he entered the kitchen, "Are you okay?"

"Owww," I moaned as I moved to sit up, "What the heck did I trip on?"

Alphonse was at my side and I heard him shifting his metal head as he looked me over and then gasped, "Celina, you're bleeding!"

"Huh?" I questioned and looked at my hand.

Sure enough, there was a small cut on my finger and it left a trail of blood running down my palm, making me sigh, "It's okay, Alphonse, I get these all the time and besides, it's just a little cut."

I heard him hum in disapproval, as if my lack of concern wasn't something he wanted to hear, but I turned to him and smiled, "Really, Al-san, I'm okay. I don't even remember cutting myself on anything and it doesn't even hurt, not a bit."

"Then why are you crying?"

I was? I placed my hand to my cheek and felt that it was wet, but it could have been from accidentally getting water on my face while I was washing the dishes. But when I felt a drop of the water land in my mouth and I tasted salt, I knew that wasn't the case.

"I…" I said softly, noticing now how shaky my voice was, "I don't know really. I haven't cried for years and I know it isn't because I'm in pain or anything. The last time I cried was the day my parents died."

Alphonse gasped at that and silence hung in the air for a bit. I heard Alphonse shift, the taring of tissue paper and then saw him reaching for my wrist. He gently took it into his hand and then wrapped my bleeding finger with the long strip of paper in his hands.

I was shocked, "Alphonse-san, you don't need to do this for me, I can do it myself, easily-"

"My mother died too." Alphonse began, "She got really sick one day and no matter what the doctors did, she couldn't get better. He said she'd had it for years and was only taking it's finally attack on her 2 years ago when I was 10. She never made it."

"What did your father do?" I asked, but then hastily added, "But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to!"

"I don't think he even knew about it. He went away on some trip when I was really little and he never came back; I can't even remember what he looks like, not very well at least. For a long time, it's just been brother and me." Alphonse explained.

I stared at this young boy, barely 5 years older than me, admitting such a dark truth to me and I decided to tell him mine.

"My father was an angry drunk and alcoholic and my mother was a prostitute and drug addict." I began, "One day, the two of them came home to see me down stares trying to destroy their precious alcohol and drugs by stomping on them with my favorite leather boots and my dad went ballistic. He beat me into the ground and then started chocking me; sometimes at night when it's really dark, I think I see the bruises shaped like hands around my neck and that was when my mother decided to step in."

I heard Alphonse lean forwards in anticipation and gasp, but I continued to stare at my lap, my eyes unseeing. I didn't see my lap, I saw that horrible night that changed me forever.

" _Richard, let her go or how are we going to use a corpse to pay us back for destroying our property?" My mother, Morgan, requested._

" _Fuck that, I'm gonna kill this little nuisance right here and now!" My father, Richard, growled._

" _Let her go, Richard, I mean it."_

" _Shut up, woman, can't you see I'm busy here?"_

" _Richard, let our daughter go now!"_

" _Our daughter…" Richard sounded so angry as he lifted my limp form up by my shirt, "Oh please, I don't make mistakes like her, this was all on you. You're the one who decided not to get the abortion, you're the one who didn't let me stamp on the little shit's head the second I saw her and knew she'd be a trouble maker."_

 _Morgan_ _scoffed, "You know what? For once, you're right. She isn't our daughter; she doesn't belong to you or me. She isn't our mistake she is just that; a mistake. It's not our faults I got pregnant, so why should we waste our time blaming each other when the cause of all our problems is dangling to what little she has left of her pathetic life-span? She deserves to die for making you and me so miserable, hell, she deserves to die just for existing; that's how pathetic she really is."_

" _Mama…" I cried, "Papa…"_

 _Richard smirked at the idea and then turned his evil eyes on me and my tiny body, "Yeah, she does deserve to die, in fact, once I kill her I think I'll fuck her. The only good thing she could have ever done later in her life was become a prostitute; preferably mine without pay."_

 _Morgan laughed at the idea, "Oh, you believed she'd take after me? How original of you, Richard. Let's get some shit from the stores so we can poison her to death; that would be so much more pleasing to see."_

 _Richard also smirked, "Let's do it, Morg."_

 _With that, he tossed me aside and my head hid the cupboard doors. My vision swam in and out of focus, I watched as the people I was born to walk out of my life for the final time._

" _Mama, Papa, please don't leave me all alone!" I cried as I reached for them._

"…A week later, police men came to my house, saying my parents were dead due to a hit and run accident and that I needed to go into the foster system, only to find me with a high fever and a broken heart. I didn't know what all those words my parents told me on that day meant, but I told every one of them to the person who they sent into listen to me and after telling her word-for-word what had happened in that kitchen, I was really shocked to see her crying. About a year after being in the horrible foster system, Tucker adopted me. That was two years ago on the day he became a State Alchemist." I finished my dark and deathly tale.

The truth is, I found out what those words meant while I was in the foster system, but even then I didn't cry about it, not even once. Why was I crying now all of a sudden? Why in front of Alphonse did my shield drop so dramatically? Why did I feel so safe with him?

I stood up and bowed my head in apologies, "Alphonse I am so sorry I dumped my horrible past on you like that. That was my burden and my burden alone to carry and I am so sorry for wasting your precious time on me and my tears."

I expected a slap, for him to walk away or just the silence for a while. He did the one thing that I never expected anyone to ever do, besides Nina on occasions.

He hugged me.

And then I did the last thing I expected myself to do.

I cried again. I hid my eyes in his wonderfully cold, but kind and strong armor and poured all the pain I've lived with over the years out in the form of tears. Alphonse didn't say a thing the entire time, he just gently ran his hand over my head and hair while hugging me. He didn't say anything to comfort me, he didn't complain I'd get his armor rusty. He just held me as I cried.

And dang, has it been a long time since I ever felt happy yet sad at the same time.

I could have been crying there for the entire day or just 5 minutes, but I eventually pulled back, whipped my eyes and smiled a weak smile towards him, "Thanks so much, Alphonse. I… I should probably finish the dishes now."

"Can I help you in anyway?" He asked softly, smiling behind his armor, "I'd like to see if I can."

I smiled, "Can you just… promise you won't leave, just for a few moments, please? I… I would really like your company."

He nodded, made a sound of agreement and then I went back to do my business as usual. Only this time…

It feels like the air above my shoulders isn't as heavy as it used to be.

 _I didn't cry for a good number of years after that day, but whenever I did, Alphonse or Edward seemed to always be there for me, like a magic charm or tear-catcher, but then I realized something: they were neither. They were just Alphonse and Edward Elric: the 'boys' who broke through my walls without destroying them and let me lighten the load on my shoulders, just for a while and let me know that it was okay to cry because I was just human in the end._

 _At least, I thought I wouldn't be crying for a good number of years after that. And I thought I was always going to be only human. And that they'd always be there for me, together. Too bad I ended up being wrong about all that; but at least **he** was there when they weren't. _


	2. Miracle of Life

A few days later, I heard Alphonse, Nina, Alexander and even Edward playing in the front yard and decided to check it out. I swept up what was left of the dust into the bins, put the broom away and then went to the front garden. I opened the door, blinking my eyes when I saw the bright sunlight land on my eyes.

Dang it, I spend too much time in doors.

"Celina!" Alphonse called when he saw me.

Nina giggled, "Celina-chan, it snowed!"

"Come join us!" Edward added, Alexander barking in agreement.

Once I'd let my eyes adjust to the light, I saw that they were right. It was really think, really heavy snow and I can't even remember the last time I played it that. So…

"YAHOOO!" I screamed as I jumped from the porch and into the snow.

I rolled into it the second I landed and when I stopped, I made a snowball in my hand and threw it at Alphonse, "CATCH, ELRIC!"

It hit him in the shoulder where the Flamel design was imprinted there in red and he called to me, "Hey!"

I laughed, but then felt something cold, wet and hard slam into my stomach. I stumbled at bit, then looked to see Edward standing there with another snowball in her hands, grinning at me smugly.

"You declare Elric when you declare war, then you're gonna get into a war with the Elrics." The girl-pretending-to-be-a-boy smirked at me.

"Oh yeah?" I called as I bent to the ground and started making another snow ball, "Well, I guess this means that we Tuckers are going to have to fight you, but that's all good, since we have our Noble dog Alexander on our side."

Nina laughed and started making her own snow balls to throw and Alexander barked in agreement. Edward and Alphonse also smirked and went to making their own snowballs. When we finished, we lifted our hands into the air to throw them and declared:

"ATTACK!"

* * *

A few hours later had us all on our backs in a star-shape, laughing and panting and giggling and just feeling so happy… I wish this moment will never end.

"Big Brothers," Nina called, "I wish you could stay here all the time with Celina and me, even after you pass your test."

"This is the most fun I've had in a long time, guys," I added, smiling at the blue sky and puffy clouds, "I wish this moment would never end."

I heard the snow shifting as Edward and Alphonse turned to their sides to look at Nina and me while we continued to lie there, looking at the sky. Nina and I got up so we could see what the two were doing. It looked like Edward was drawing a circle.

"Big Brother, what are you drawing?" Nina asked, intrigued and curiously.

Edward didn't look up from her drawing, "It's called a transmutation circle. It's an incantation to get a wish granted."

When she was done, it looked like a large triangle was crossing over two circles and inside those circles was a smaller triangle with lines coming off it's corners to connect it directly to the inside circle.

So that's a transmutation circle…

"All right." Edward grinned, satisfied with her work and then placed her hands on the circle, "Watch this."

Suddenly, the circle started glowing a gentle yet powerful blue light and plants sprouted from it. Nina and I cheered in amazement as pretty pink-petal and lovely purple-petal flowers sprouted from the ground. They finished growling quickly, but me and Nina were still amazed.

"Incredible! Incredible!" Nina cheered, squealing happily, "Big Brother, that was incredible!"

I grinned and hugged Edward, "You're amazing, Edward-san!"

"But I can do better than that!" Edward grinned.

"Really?!" Nina and I questioned.

Edward nodded and she and Alphonse shared a grin, "Close your eyes and count to 10."

Nina and I did so and when we opened our eyes, Edward and Alphonse each had a flower crown in their hands and were kneeling before us.

"I, Sir Edward Elric, now crown you, Nina Tucker," Edward said in an overly deep voice as she placed the pink flower crown on Nina's head, "Princess of the Pink Flowers, Nina-chan!"

Alphonse giggled inside his armor, "And I, Sir Alphonse Elric, now declare you, Celina Tucker," I giggled as he placed the purple flower crown on my head, "Queen of the Purple Flowers, Celina-chan!"

Nina and I squealed and we each hugged our 'knights', "Arigato, Edward! Arigato, Alphonse!"

We all just laughed for what could have been forever if we wanted to while Alexander barked at us, his tail wagging like mad.

"Not bad, Elrics, not bad at all!"

We all turned our heads in surprise to see a man with black hair, green eyes and brown-rimmed glasses smiling at us. He was very tall and was wearing a casual but warm looking pair of black pants/jacket, red shirt and black shoes. His smile was so kind and fatherly; I decided I liked him instantly.

"Major Hughes!" Edward exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey there!" The man, Hughes, raise his hand in greeting, "I've come to pick you up. It's your birthday today, right Ed?"

I was very surprised, "Really?!"

"Now that you mention it…" Alphonse trailed off.

"How would you know something like that?" Edward sounded as surprised as she looked.

But Hughes just grinned at them, "I _am_ in the research department, ya know. Come on, let's go to my house. My beautiful wife is waiting for us."

Nina and I looked down and sighed, me voicing our thoughts, "I guess this means we won't get to play any more with Alphonse or Edward."

Edward and Alphonse looked a bit disappointed with that option as well; even Alexander stopped wagging his tale in delight.

"You too there, little ladies." Hughes called, "A celebration is more fun if you share it with everyone!"

Nina began cheering and Alexander howled in rejoice while I settled for a simple grin, when a thought hit me.

"I'll ask Mr. Tucker if we can go." I added, "I'm sure he'll say yes."

Hughes nodded and I was sprinting into the house. I ran up to Tucker's office and knocked loudly.

"Tucker, Nina and I were invited to Major Hughes's house! He's a friend of Edward's and it's his birthday today!" I called into the door, "Can we go?!"

When I didn't hear anything back, I decided to take it as a yes and went right to the front door.

"He said yes!" I yelled as I jumped back out into the snow.

Everyone in the yard cheered (or howled) and Hughes grinned at us, "Well then, we better get a move on!"

I turned to Alexander and looked at him sternly, "Now, I know you dislike being alone, Alexander, but you're gonna have to put up with it for a little while, okay? Me and Nina will be back real soon, so just try to hang on until then, okay?"

I got a bark in return as well as a slobbery tongue on my cheek, making me laugh, "Okay, okay!" I laughed as I pushed his face away, "I love you two, big guy. I'll bring you back a stake if they've got any, too."

Alexander howled in delight and slobbered my face up again, making me squeal and fall on my butt, but he continued on with the attack, "Alexander," I laughed, "get off me, or" I laughed again, "or you'll never get your," again, I was laughing, "your precious stake!"

He continued on as if he hadn't heard me and I don't blame him; I was laughing too much to even know what I was saying, let alone give orders. I vaguely heard the snow being crushed as someone stepped beside me but I didn't focus on it; I was too busy trying to remember how to breathe. Until I felt someone grab my arms and pull me away from Alexander while someone else held him back. As I finally got my breath back, I opened my eyes to see what was going on.

Alphonse was holding Alexander back while Edward pulled me across the snow covered ground, making Nina and Hughes laugh. And to be honest, it made me start laughing all over again because I must have looked like such a kid-

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!" I screamed to the heavens, "I CALLED MYSELF AN IMMATURE BRATTY KID!"

I got to my feet and pouted; I can't believe I did that. I am not a little kid, I am not a little kid, I am not an immature little brat who can't tell the difference between 2 and 5.

* * *

Once we reached Hughes' house, we all went in and met his very caring-

"Come on in and thank you all for coming." The woman with soft emerald eyes and sandy blonde hair smiled.

"This is my wife, Gracia." Hughes introduced us.

"Your stomach's so big!" Edward exclaimed in shock.

-and pregnant wife, Gracia Hughes.

"Oh, my goodness." Gracia giggled, not upset by the comment.

"You're going to have a baby?" Alphonse asked, voice shaky with astonishment.

"Very shortly now," The proud couple blushed and grinned, Gracia holding her cheek and Hughes the back of his head, "There's a big fuss inside my stomach saying 'I want to come out soon'."

"Really?" Edward asked as the Elrics bent so they were level with me and Nina, who were in direct eye-line with the unborn child.

"Do you want to feel?" Gracia asked us, smiling.

Instantly, Edward and Alphonse had reeled back in shock, hands as far away from Gracia as possible while they both stuttered, "N-no…"

"Nina want's to feel!" Nina cheered, me bouncing on the spot, "Me, too, me too!"

"Go ahead, Nina-chan and um…" Gracia sheepishly grinned towards me.

"Celina Tucker, at your service, Gracia-san." I smiled, not bothered by it.

Nina placed her mitten covered hands on the woman's belly while I placed a gentle knuckle on it… And we squealed in delight!

"It moved! Incredible! Incredible!" Nina cheered.

I place my ear next to the unborn child and listened close, only to hear a tiny, tiny but alive none the less heartbeat.

"I can hear it's heart!" I gasped.

I turned around to the Elrics to see them not looking as creeped-out as before. I reached out and grabbed Alphonse's wrist.

"Come on, come on!" I squealed as I tugged the suit of armor over to the pregnant woman, "Go ahead, Alphonse-kun, it won't bite your glove off!"

With a bit of guidance from me, Alphonse placed his left knuckle on Gracia's stomach and a look of amazement appeared in his eyes that peered out of his helmet. Edward was soon behind her brother, placing her left hand on Gracia's stomach and the both of them jumped away at the same time.

"Oh my gosh, it moved!" They screamed in shock.

Everyone in the household fell into a laughing fit and soon the Elric 'brothers' were right behind us.

* * *

First Edward blew out the 13 candles on his cake, making everyone clap in happiness. Hughes and Alphonse started teasing Edward about how her high might finally increase. Gracia brought in a full-course meal that consisted of chicken meat, potatoes and salad. We ate the strawberry shortcake (I teased Edward about the only thing shorter then her was her birthday cake) Nina and I got frosting all over our faces, but I cleaned us both up.

I was helping with the clean up as Gracia brought the tea over to us, smiling brightly, "Okay then, does anyone want refills on their tea?"

"Oh thanks, dear!" Hughes turned to smile at his wife.

I smiled but then noticed something about Gracia; she looked like she was in pain.

Suddenly, she had toppled to the ground, making me and Hughes gasp in shock, "GRACIA!"

I abandoned the dishes I was going to wash on the table and ran over to the fallen woman, Hughes hot on my heels. I knelled in front of her when me and Hughes got to her, the metal tea-pot forgotten.

"Miss Gracia, are you okay?" I asked, worry in my tone as I placed one of my hands over one of her own.

"Uma-" Gracia muttered.

"Uma?" Hughes and I repeated in confusion ("Uma" means horse)

"Umareru." Gracia said, sweat-dropping at our stupidity.

Hughes and I freaked ("Umareru" means "the baby's coming")

"It-it can't be, the due date isn't here yet!" Hughes gasped.

"Well the baby wants to come out now." Gracia hissed in exasperation.

"T-the doctor!" Hughes looked around frantically, "We have to get you to a doctor!"

We heard Alphonse gasp, turned our heads and saw him pointing outside the window, "There's a blizzard!"

I looked out the window and indeed, there was a blizzard.

"Oh, poo." I muttered.

"In that case, I'll bring the doctor here." Hughes told Gracia, honestly and confidently, "Sit tight Gracia!"

Edward raised her hand, stuttering, "J-just a sec-"

But Hughes had slammed the door on us and for a while, it was just us and the silence.

"Sorry about this, everyone." Gracia apologized.

I fell down anime-style and just smiled at the woman, thought I think I looked sheepish, "No, no worries Gracia-san, we'll manage somehow. Let's, let's make sure that you and your little one are comfortable."

With some help from Alphonse, we got Gracia onto the couch and I went over some books I once read about home-birth from Central Library. Come on, brain, think!

"What do we do?" Edward asked, a little worried.

I held my chin, hopping it would help me think, though I doubted it would, "We need hot water, boiling hot preferably and large sanitary napkins."

"Got it!" Edward went to get it.

"Clean sheets, towels and tissues." I added.

"I'll try to find them!" Alphonse went for the other way.

"Soft, clean blankets for the baby and…" Dang it, what was the last thing, "a hat or blankets for the baby so he or she doesn't die of heat-loss. And a pair of scissors to cut the umbilical cord for when the doctor gets here."

"Okay!" Nina went and ran for another room.

I turned around and looked around the room, "Gracia, are you cold?"

When I saw her nodding from the corner of my eyes, I went in search for a blanket and found a pale but woolly and warm yellow one for her. I placed it over her and her soon-not-to-be-pregnant stomach, hopping that whoever comes out of there will be okay.

"Arigato, Celina-chan." Gracia thanked me.

I smiled the best I could and nodded to her, "I promise you, Gracia, that your's and Hughes' baby will be born healthy and happy, even if we have to do it without a doctor."

Gracia smiled at me and nodded, "I trust you, Celina-chan."

Though I was nervous, scared and part of me was thinking of going into panic mode, I fought that side of me, smiled at her and said, "I promise that I won't betray that trust ever, Gracia-san. Not ever."

I heard Edward and her mismatched footsteps thundering down the halls, "Gracia-san, I brought the water!"

"Arigato!" Gracia grunted, hands to her stomach.

I nodded, "Set it on the floor near Gracia; we're going to need it when we do clean up."

Edward nodded and set it down. Alphonse and Nina then came into the room, the supplies they went for in their hands.

"Where do we put these, Celina?" Nina asked, nervously.

I gestured towards the water, "Put them by the water, so they'll be near when we have to use them."

Suddenly, Gracia yowled in pain and I guessed she was having another contraction; and since it wasn't all that far apart time-wise with the first one she had when Hughes left, that means the kid's coming out soon.

I turned to see Nina and the Elrics looking between each other, nervously and worriedly, but I smiled and then turned to Gracia, "You're doing great, Gracia-san. Is there anything you'd like to maybe squeeze while you're having your contractions? I heard that it helps sometimes."

She shook her head and smiled at me, "You've done enough already, Celina-chan. All of you have."

I felt myself blushing slightly and scratched my cheek slightly, chuckling.

* * *

It could have been 30 minutes or 3 hours later and I wouldn't have known, but Alphonse seemed to be able to keep track of the time, "The doctor sure is taking a long time."

While Nina gently patted Gracia's forehead with a wet flannel, Edward and I stood there, not knowing what we could do to help. Gracia's contractions were getting closer together and her pained cries were getting louder; I think she was going to have her first child very, very soon. And I was scared.

I can tell that bringing life into the world the way women do it is painstakingly hard and I had no idea what I could do to help anymore then I could. I have no idea how a woman even goes through birth alive! I know it happens, I'm living proof that women survive childbirth, but I feel so useless every time I hear Gracia, this pregnant stranger who has been nothing but kind to me and my friends, yowling in pain.

The blonde girl trailed off, "Yeah, with all this snow…"

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Gracia screamed and arched her back, "I can't take anymore, I'm dying!"

And instantly, everyone was in a panic. Edward and Nina had relied back in shock, Alphonse was jumping about and I felt like my head was going to explode from the headache I was getting from their constant yelling.

"Brother! Gracia-san said she's going to die!"

"S-she couldn't be…!"

Gracia yowled again and then did the worst thing possible to do in this situation: she passed out. Nina screamed with tears in her eyes and her braids spiked up slightly, then started crying the same time Edward and Alphonse went back to their song and dance called panic and those horrible drummers started using my brain to make music.

"She's not dead, is she?!"

"Mama-san!"

"You idiot, she's just lost consciousness right?!"

"But if you think about it like Alchemy, there's a considerable cost in creating a new life!"

"Childbirth isn't Alchemy you know!"

I finally had enough and screamed at the top of my lungs, "WILL ALL YOU FREAKING IDIOTS SHUT UP AND STOP PANICKING?!"

Instantly, everyone was silent and I looked at everyone with what I hopped was a reassuring look, "The female gender of every species has been giving birth and taking care of their children ever since the beginning of time. Sure, occasionally, a child or mother would die or get injured during the births that would bring them into the world, but that was rare compared to all the times mothers have managed births the same way Gracia is!"

I gestured to the strong woman behind me, the amazement in my voice growing, "She is probably terrified, in a lot of pain and anxious about a lot of things right now that she isn't telling us; like where's the doctor? Or is her husband alright? But is she letting it get to her and crying about it like I probably would be? No! She is focusing on the thing that is most important right now and that is making sure that this unborn and innocent child makes it into this cruel and untameable world alive and keeping us calm. She is making sure not to worry too much on the things that aren't relevant right now and she is doing her very best to make sure that we don't go into panic mode, which would just stress her out more and make the birth even more difficult."

Everyone's eyes showed astonishment, but I wasn't done yet, "Right now, she is probably being the bravest person in the world; so the least we can do for her is keep a calm head and do our best to ensure that this innocent child makes it into the world alive. Someone was at our mother's side when we were born; now it's our turn to be at another mother's side as her child is born."

Everyone, though obviously insecure and worried, nodded with determination ablaze in their eyes. We heard Gracia's pain filled grunt and turned our attention back to her.

"Are you alright, Gracia-san?" Alphonse asked, worry evident in his tone.

Gracia didn't respond, instead, she continued to grunt in pain and I knew the time was soon.

Edward growled low in her throat and in irritation, slammed her hands together, "Damn it, what should we do? How can there be nothing we can do at a time like this?"

"Big Brother," Nina called, her little hand in the bowl of water, "the water is cold."

"Ah, okay." Edward went to pick up the bowl-

Only for there to be a stutter of electricity, a flash of light, a smoke screen and suddenly, the water was so hot it bubbled for a moment and steam rose from it. We were all shocked, but we knew what that was: Alchemy without a transmutation circle! But that's impossible! I don't know much about Alchemy, but I do know that it's impossible to perform without a transmutation circle.

"Brother! What did you just do?!" Alphonse gasped.

"N-nothing!" Edward stuttered, shocked.

"N-nothing?" Alphonse questioned, "But where's the transmutation circle?!" and he gripped his head in confusion, "Then, how did the water get hot?"

"How should I know?" Edward questioned, "Must have been force of mind!"

Suddenly, Gracia screamed, "It's coming!"

Everyone else yelled in alarm, looked around worriedly and then screamed, "WHAT SHOULD WE DO?!"

"Isn't the doctor here yet?!" Edward screamed.

* * *

After calming everyone down and with a lot of encouragement from me, we all managed to pitch in a little with helping Gracia deliver her baby. Alphonse held her hand as she began pushing the kid out, I told her when to push like they did in the movies, caught the baby when she came out (Gracia and Hughes now had a daughter) and since the doctor wasn't here yet, I cut the umbilical cord from Gracia myself. Nina cleaned their child and Edward helped sit Gracia up so she could hold her new born daughter. By the time the doctor and Hughes had arrived, all that was finished but the innocent little girl that had just been born was crying her precious eyes out. Maybe it's because she could tell how scared everyone here had been, or she was so happy to be alive I don't know.

But I do know one thing; we had done it. We all helped Gracia give birth to her and Hughes' first child and right now, I couldn't be more proud of everyone in this entire room. Right now, Gracia was sitting comfortably on the couch she had given birth on, holding her tiny little girl to her chest smiling while Hughes cried his eyes out at the sight before him.

"Outstanding!" Hughes cried, "Outstanding, Gracia!"

We kids watched in wonder as the tiny child cried in the arms of her loving mother, with our hands on our knees as we leaned over in anticipation. The doctor cleaned his hands after examining the little girl, smiling.

Gracia then turned to us, smiling though she sounded out of breath, "Thanks to everybody. I'm really, really grateful."

"W-we didn't do much really," Edward stuttered, grinning awkwardly as she turned to her brother, "right Al?"

Alphonse nodded his head in agreement, "If anyone should be thanked, it would be Celina."

I felt my face turning slightly pink, "Do-don't cut yourselves short guys, just because you panicked for a while. I was as useless as you in the long run since Gracia was the one who did all the hard work."

Gracia shook her head and it seems she just couldn't stop smiling and I don't blame her, "Uh-uh," she brought her little girl to her face and said, "You stayed at my side."

We all watched the little girl for a little while longer and I saw from the corner of my eyes, Edward grinning with tears in the corner of her eyes.

Then I asked the all-important question of, "What are you going to name her?"

For a second, Gracia and Hughes shared a look, smiled and then said in union, "Elicia."

"Elicia," I repeated the name, then grinned, "That's a great name. Did you know that it means 'Kind Child of Noble Birth'? And I'm not surprised, because right now, you two look like a very happy and very much in love King and Queen. Elicia is so lucky to have you two for parents."

And I wasn't making that up. I've read several books that have often stated that Elicia is a variation of the name Alice and whenever I've read those books, they've mentioned the name meaning either 'noble', 'noble of birth' or 'kind'.

The two seemed surprised for a moment, but then smiled again and looked at their adorable baby girl who isn't even an hour old yet with all the love a parent should have in their eyes for their child. And just for a moment, I allowed myself to envision me in Elicia's place with my own parents in there and giving me the loving glances I never got from them.

* * *

Late that night, I couldn't sleep. I kept running the events of the day over and over in my head and I found myself sweeping the halls once more in a poor attempt to calm myself down.

"This alchemy stuff-turns out it wasn't any help at all, huh? In contract, mothers are something awesome, huh? They can do something an Alchemist wouldn't be able to do in 100 years."

I kept on sweeping, wanting to hear the Elrics' thoughts on this but decided to keep silent.

"The same goes for our mother."

"Al…"

"I wonder if I was that warm and soft when I was born."

It sounded like a reasonable statement considering what we've just been through, but the way he said it… Alphonse sounded as if he didn't even know if he had flesh anymore. I hit myself with the broom; of course he has flesh, Shoko, don't you start talking like a lunatic.

"O-of course you were!"

"Really?"

For a moment, I thought I heard sobbing, but then it quietened down and there were no more words.

* * *

After that day, Edward and Alphonse got even more engrossed in Alchemy, but they still played with Nina and Alexander whenever she could convince them to go outside. Tucker kept up his research as well, focusing solely on finding a way to pass the time from the looks of things. I was still doing the chores, but I found that more and more often, Alphonse was there helping me out and…

I really, really liked having him around. I often wondered what he looked like under the armor and this is what I often came up with:

Al was as tall as he was with the armor on with hair and eyes the same color as Edward's, maybe a shade closer to the color brown(hair) and green(eyes) since those were the colors his mother had (Alphonse told me himself). His skin would be about the same color as Edward's, maybe a shade or two lighter and his smile would be brighter than the sun and kinder than a saint's. He'd wear whatever he wants to and would look good in it so long he smiled and all-in-all, he'd be very handsome.

I hope one day he'll be okay with showing me his face.


	3. Trust We Receive

As the 'boys' worked their butts off, we soon found that Exam Day was only 3 weeks away. One night, while Nina and Alexander slept after a day of playing in the snow that was turning to slush and I dusted the family picture of me, Tucker and Nina on the day I was adopted, Tucker decided to tell the 'brothers' more about the test.

"Every year, the test is held in order of," Tucker began with a cup of coffee I made on a saucer, "written exam, interviews and then practical skills. I can't say anything about how many people are taking it, but each year, there are only one or two people who pass."

"You mean, that's all?" Edward gasped in shock.

Alphonse spoke up, "What about genders? Does the law say anything about girls not being allowed to take the test?"

Tucker nodded, "It is strictly forbidden for women to take the test to become State Alchemists because of wide-spread discrimination in the military rule books. If any are caught posing as men in the exams, they are forbidden to ever take the test and forced to spend 6 months in jail."

"Umm," Alphonse spoke up, "what kind of things do they do during the interviews?"

"In my case, all they did was a question-and-answer session," Tucker explained, "but there are also physical examinations sometimes, depending on the person."

Alphonse gasped and looked downwards, "A physical examination, huh?"

Edward had stiffened up as well and I don't blame her.

If she takes this test and they decide to do a physical examination, people are bound to find out about her lacking of male anatomy and Tucker just said that girls go to jail just for trying to be men to take the test. That's what I hate about the rule book and society we live in so much.

Girls are expected to be good, innocent, little house wives when they're married and if they're not, they're instantly considered prostitutes or flirts with no value, nothing to give back to society but pictures of them naked and no personality. It's how society has worked for generations, I get that it's hard to change old habits, but come on for God's sake, society! Grow up!

Gender, sexual preference and appearances shouldn't matter, but no, of course they do and will be the thing that'll determined if you're a loser or a winner by society's standards. People say it's getting better since female soldiers are being allowed to enlist in the army now, but in my opinion, it's getting worst. We're at war with every one of our neighboring countries (or very close to it), people are being slaughtered for their religion, race and other things like that; the only reason they're letting girls into the army is because of how well a single female soldier called "The Hawk's Eye" performed while 'working for her country' in the slaughter of the Ishvalan people.

How do I know all this stuff? I listen to the news on the radio a lot whenever I'm cleaning in the living room.

"And another thing…" I opened my ears once more as Tucker continued with his explanations, "at the practical skills test, about half of the people brought the results of their research, like me, and about half showed off their transmuting on the spot. What are you guys going to do?"

The 'brothers' actually seemed worried about this one.

* * *

A while later while I was cleaning a vase in the hallways near the Elric's room, I heard them talking again (just how thick are the walls and doors of this house?).

"I'm at a loss. What are we going to do for the practical skills test?"

"What if they do a physical exam before that? They'll find out that the inside of this armor is empty."

What?

I dropped the vase I was holding and it made a large smashing sound that echoed everywhere. There was a gasp, a door being slammed open and I heard Alphonse yelling, "Celina?!" and then there was nothing but silence.

Then my eyes caught back up to time and I realized I was surrounded by darkness.

 _I must have passed out or something…_

I opened my eyes slightly, only to see I was being held buy Alphonse who was shaking me, calling out to me, "Celina?! Celina can you hear me?"

"Is Celina-chan okay?"

"Look, she's waking up."

"Alphonse, calm down, stop shaking her. See, she's fine."

I groaned and brought a hand to my face, running it down and muttered, "I feel like I've been hit by a train."

I heard Nina gasp and scream, "Celina-chan, your face is covered with blood!"

Blood? I looked at my hand to see bleeding cuts all over it, but there weren't any pieces of the shattered vase in it. I looked to Alphonse in questions and showed him my hand.

"While you were unconscious, Edward and I used a pair of tweezers to take the china out before it could get buried in your skin. We only just finished, but no matter what we did you wouldn't wake up and your hand wouldn't stop bleeding and…" Alphonse voice grew small as he admitted, "I panicked."

I smiled at everyone (even Tucker was there) with what I still had of my strength and said, "I guess I've been working too hard lately. Sorry I worried you guys."

I know that wasn't why I passed out. I passed out partly from tiredness and partly from shock. Alphonse said there was nothing in his armor, but that can't be true. How can he exist if his armor's empty?

I felt Alphonse standing up and heading down the halls, "I'll take you to your room."

I nodded and made a split second decision, "Edward, can you come to please?"

Though she looked confused, she nodded and as I gave Alphonse the directions, I worked out how this was going to work in my head. We reached my room (in the attic) and as Alphonse placed me on the bed, I admitted, "I know, Al."

Alphonse seemed to have tensed and then said, "Know about what, Celina?"

I felt the tears gather in my eyes and I placed my arm over my eyes, "I know about everything. Ed being a girl, you being hallow. I'm sorry."

The Elrics gasped and then as Edward growled, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me up, hissing angrily in my face, "How the hell did you find out? No one in Central knows that."

"I, I," I considered lying, but decided against it, "I was sweeping by your rooms and on your first night here, I heard Alphonse calling you sister. And last night, while I was doing some last minute dusting of the vases in that hallway, I heard Alphonse say he was empty and that's what made me pass out. I'm sorry! I'm really, really, sorry Edward, Alphonse!"

"You little-" Edward raised her right hand as if about to punch me, but Alphonse grabbed it, "Brother!"

I didn't try to fight my tears, I know they won't help, but I betrayed someone's trust and that is unforgivable, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you guys, it's a horrible habit I picked up while I was in the foster system because I hated not being told what was going to happen to me before it happened. That's no excuse, I know and I'm sorry. There's nothing I can say to change what I've done and I know it was wrong and if you want to hit me, just do it already because I know I deserve it and-"

"Celina?" Alphonse's voice gently called.

I shut up and looked at the boy in the suit of armor, waiting for the punishing words or painful smacks to come about. I then looked at the girl with the Automail hand (I only just now noticed it? How pathetic) who was holding my shirt tightly but wasn't snarling at me anymore. In fact, she looked like she was taking a deep breath and then she let go of my shirt, dropping me onto the mattress of my bed.

For a while, all things were silent, you could hear a pin drop and then Edward looked me in the eye and said, "Can you keep a secret?"

I nodded and decided to stay quiet. Edward and Alphonse shared a look, Alphonse nodded making Edward sigh and then she and Alphonse climbed onto my bed and sat themselves comfortably on it with their legs crossed.

"How much do you know about us, Celina?" Edward began.

I said, "I know that you're Edward Elric, 13-year-old girl pretending to be a boy to take the State Alchemist Exam and has an Automail right arm. I know your little brother is named Alphonse Elric, he is 11 years old and is apparently a hallow suit of armor. I know your father left you before you could even remember his face and your mother died when you were only 10 and 11 years old due to an illness."

The two nodded at me, confirming what I had said, Edward adding, "And I have an Automail left leg, too."

"Tell us what you don't know about us, Celina." Alphonse encouraged.

I nodded, "I do not know why you two want to become State Alchemists or how you lost your bodies and I also do not know how Lieutenant Coronal Mustang the Flame Alchemist came upon you two or why he found you in the military. I do not know how many other people know of Edward's real gender besides the ones in this room."

They nodded, Edward took a breath and said, "Alright then, I'll fill you in."

I nodded and so, Edward began, "After our mother died, Alphonse and I sought out a way to bring her back to life and we knew of a alchemical method used to bring the dead back to life called Human Transmutation. We met an Alchemist named Izumi and she taught us how to use Alchemy and how to fight as well. To train the mind, you need to train the body, right?"

I nodded and smiled, "That's what I believe at least."

Alphonse took over, "After training with Teacher for 6 months, Ed and I returned to our hometown Resembool to attempt Human Transmutation to bring our mother back, but…"

I finished for them since neither of them looked okay with saying it, "It went horribly wrong, I bet?"

They nodded and Edward went on, "I only lost a leg, but Alphonse…"

"I lost my entire body," Alphonse finished and took off his helmet, revealing an empty suit of armor and a seal on the back of his neck crested in blood, "but before I could lose my soul and mind too, Edward gave up her own arm to bond me to this suit of armor. This blood seal, the seal Edward made with her own blood, is the only thing keeping me in this world."

"And the thing you made?" I asked, "What was it? Was it your mother?"

Edward looked like her face hard been drained of all it's blood and then, Alphonse said, "What we made… it… it wasn't even human."

I gasped and stared at these two strong and kindred spirits before me, one of them on the verge of tears and another trapped in a body that wouldn't allow him to cry, so I did the only thing I could. I reached out and hugged them both. For a moment, things were awkwardly quiet, but then the two of them hugged me back and we sat there for a bit, before Edward and Alphonse slowly pulled back.

Edward coughed into her hand, "Anyway…" I nodded, and she continued, "The same night we tried to bring our mother back, Mustang, who happened to be in the area, arrived at our best friend's house where we were staying and since he knew about our attempt at Human Transmutation and yet we survived it, he said that we should visit him in Central sometime. So, I asked Winry and Ante Pinako to make me some Automail and after a year of training with it, we packed our bags and headed for Central in hopes of finding out if we could become State Alchemists and get our original bodies back."

"But if you met Mustang before, how come he let you prepare for the exam even though you were a girl?" I asked.

"He didn't realize it," Edward explained, "Mustang talked about me and Alphonse as if we were both male and since we knew girls weren't allowed to become State Alchemists, I pretended to be a boy. It wasn't all that hard since I was born with a boy's name and thought I was a boy up until the age of 8 when Mom finally told me."

I chuckled at that, "Yeah, I can imagine you thinking you were a boy."

We all chuckled at that and I knew everything was gonna be okay. Edward and Alphonse didn't hate me for listening in on their conversations and learn of their secrets in the wrong way and they weren't gonna hold it against me.

I had received their trust and I wasn't going to break it ever again.


	4. A Very Important Exam

Today was the day: the day Edward and Alphonse take the State Alchemist Exam to find out if they have what it takes to become 'Dogs of the Military' without revealing the truths of their bodies. I had worked extra hard on the breakfast I made for everyone that day, hoping all the positive energy I put into making the food would flow into the Elric's bodies and help them pass the exam.

Stupid huh? But I wanted to do my best for them and if the only things I'm good at right now are cooking, then I'll make them a great breakfast to put them in a good mood and fill them with energy.

"Big day today, huh guys?" I grinned as I served everyone a home cooked breakfast at the dinner table.

Edward nodded, "Yeah, today's the day we take our written tests and have our interviews to see if we'll be able to take the practical exams in a 3 days' time."

"Good luck boys," Tucker said, "I hope you two can do it."

"Go big brothers, go!" Nina cheered.

Alexander woofed from his place near Nina and I laughed, "See, even the dog knows you guys can do this."

Everyone laughed and went back to eating to ensure they had the needed energy for the exam. Every once in a while, they commented on something like how the snow was starting to disappear or the 3 Alchemists in the room quizzing each other to ensure they didn't miss anything out.

When breakfast was finished, I decided to do the dishes later while Nina, Alexander and I walked the Elrics to Central Command where the tests were being held. We arrived to find about 23-30 other men of various ages ready and willing to see if they could become State Alchemists and I felt that not a single one of them were even half as qualified for this test as the Elrics.

At 10:20am the potential State Alchemists were brought in to take their exams and at 10:30am the tests themselves would begin. The tests would end at 12:10am which gave everyone 100 minutes to go through with the exam and I knew that by then that Edward would be hungry.

* * *

At 12:15am, the applicants pilled out of the massive building and among them we saw the Elric 'Brothers' trudging out of the building. We spotted them and after Nina blinked, she and Alexander were leading our way over to the two.

"Big Brothers!" She called as she neared them, "How did it go?"

Edward looked positively racked, "I didn't make it to the last question."

"I got through all of it, but next comes the interviews." Alphonse admitted, sounding uneasy.

They both weren't in great shape and the interviews were in 45 minutes; I've got to do something. So I smiled and opened up the bag Alexander was carrying.

"I've got something that'll cheer you up, Ed," I pulled out my master piece, hoping it would make her feel better, "a little something for your sweet-tooth."

Edward smiled and took the box of 3 sugar coated jam doughnuts into her hands, "Thanks, Celina."

I smiled, titled my head and giggled, "You're welcome, Big Brother Ed!"

Everyone laughed as we all went to look for a place clear of snow to sit down on and rest for a while. We found an area where Edward, Alphonse and I sat down in while Nina and Alexander played not too far away. After she finished the doughnuts, Edward sighed and looked at her lap while Alphonse leaned back and stared at the sky while I looked at the two with my legs folded.

Alphonse sighed, worried, "The interview…"

I heard footsteps coming towards us and I turned my head to see-

"Is that," I asked Edward, pointing at the man coming towards us, "Lieutenant Colonel Mustang?

Edward and Alphonse turned their heads in my direction and indeed, the man who had stopped at my door to drop off the Elric 'Brothers' all those months ago was fast approaching us. He stopped and looked at Edward and Alphonse pointedly, as if saying "we need to talk". Edward just glared at him and placed her hand on my shoulder, making me jump for a moment in surprise.

"Anything you can say to us, you can say to her." Edward stated, "She knows about us and is willing to keep it a secret."

Mustang didn't falter, just turned and said, "Fine. But we can't talk here; it's too public."

I glanced at Nina and Alexander for a moment and ran over to them. I smiled once I reached them, quickly said, "Me and our Big Brothers are going to the bath room, we'll be back real soon Nina, okay? And you behave and protect her Alexander."

The both of them nodded, I turned around and ran after the trio of Alchemists. We went behind the Central Command Building and when Mustang said what he wanted to say, I was out-raged.

"You can't mean it!" Alphonse cried, "I can't accept this!"

"Who the heck do you think you are, deciding something like that?!" I screamed.

"Why would you tell me not to go through with the interview?" Alphonse questioned.

Mustang looked at Alphonse and I with cold, serious eyes (not something I expected from the Flame Alchemist), "If you wish to go any further while still concealing your past that's the only thing you can do."

I hissed, "In other words, 'I think you're too stupid so I'm making up bullshit excuses so you don't start crying for your Mommy when you realize you failed the exam'. Which I'd bet my life on he didn't!"

Everyone stared at me for a moment for my use of language, but I didn't care; I was still freaking angry with him.

"And I want to stay with my brother!" Alphonse insisted.

"So let him!" I yelled, "You can't stop him and frankly-"

"Al, Celly, it's okay."

I turned to Edward, shocked out of my mind and saw her looking at us with a grin, "It's just like Aunt Pinako said. State Alchemists get rounded up whenever war breaks out. Sometimes, they have to use their Alchemy to hurt people for the good of their countrymen; so say their higher ups." She turned her full body to us while Mustang watched from the side-lines, "Passing equals becoming a 'Dog of the Military'."

Alphonse spoke up, "But still-"

"It'll be tough enough for me alone to become a State Alchemist," Edward looked at us with eyes of guilt and they hit me like waves of shame, "but I'll make sure I become one and grant you your wish."

Alphonse gasped, "Brother…"

* * *

With that decided, at 1:00pm, Alphonse, Nina, Alexander and I watched as Edward headed in for her interview for who knows how long but we agreed to wait anyway. An hour later, we were all heading home and this time instead of accidentally/purposely eavesdropping on the Elrics, I asked if I could sleep in their room for the night and they said they didn't mind.

So, while Edward and Alphonse sat in their beds on opposite sides of the room to each other, I sat on the flour on the mattress from my bed that I had dragged down the stairs, all three of us in blankets and awake into the darkest of the night.

"Al…Celly…" Edward called, softly, "we chose the right path, didn't we?"

None of us shifted or moved to see each other better, we all just stared at the ceiling. For a while, it looked like no one would answer, but then Al spoke up.

"I don't know. But the one thing I am sure about…" Alphonse moved to sit on his bed and Edward and I turned so we could see him, "is that I want to be able to touch you again, Ed. It's strange, huh? Here we are, always so near each other since we got here, but I can't even remember what it feels like to hold you or how warm your body is. And I want to know what you're cooking tastes like, Celly."

I smiled at him, "Don't worry, Alphonse; I know you will one day. I'm sure of it!"

"Celly's right, Al." Edward nodded, "You'll get your body back soon; I promise that we will."

I then thought of something, "Hey guys, why did you let me be in that conversation with Mustang earlier?"

Edward shrugged, "I had a feeling you'd eavesdrop on us if we didn't let you in."

"Oh, okay." I murmured, then what she said registered in my head and I sat up, "HEY! Okay, I won't deny I picked it up as a habit, but I can't help it!"

"So you don't deny that you would have done it anyway." Edward hummed.

I growled, "I'd shut up if I were you, Edward."

"By the way," Alphonse trailed off, "where did you learn that word?"

I looked at him, "You mean 'bullshit'? I listen to the adult channels whenever I have the radio on."

The two of them snickered at that and I smiled, "Night everyone."

"Night, Celly." The 'Brothers' repeated.

I turned over on my side and went to sleep.

* * *

 _Darkness was everywhere, I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face or if I was even standing on anything. But I somehow knew I was somewhere important._

" _Hello?" I called and it echoed for about 10 seconds, as if I was in a cavern with deep walls, but I was alone, "Is anybody out there?"_

" _My, my…"_

 _I tried turning around, but I couldn't tell if had since everything still looked the same._

" _Aren't you just adorable?"_

 _I felt a hand grab my chin and I shrieked in fear, "LET ME GO, LET ME GO, LET ME GO!"_

 _That horrible, scratchy old voice laughed in glee, "Why should I? You're just so cute, you could end up being very useful to me in the future."_

 _That made me mad, "NO WAY, I'M NOT ANYONE'S PAWN!" I slapped the hand away, cringing when I felt it smack against skin so frail, it could have given way to the bones underneath easily if I slapped her hand any harder._

 _The woman's voice cackled around me, then I saw a face in front of me being illuminated and it made me_ _ **scream**_ _._

"CELINA!"

I sat up in my makeshift bed, panting, sweating and thinking: thank God I'm alive. I turned slightly to see Edward and Alphonse looking at me in worry, but I took a final breath and calmed down.

It was just a nightmare, Celina, calm down… That evil woman is dead, okay? Okay. She can't hurt you any more, neither can her husband… So you're good…

"Celina…" Alphonse called, softly.

I smiled at him shakily, "I'm okay Al, really. It was just a nightmare, nothing to panic about."

"But you were screaming even after your eyes opened." Edward stated.

I had nothing to say to that because I didn't remember having my eyes open before waking up. I sighed and went back to lying on my back and looking out the window at the moon that shone on us.

"I'll be okay once we all go back to sleep; it's a big day tomorrow, so you should be saving up your energy, Ed." I giggled, "We can't have you flunking the exam."

The pair chuckled and with that, we all went back to sleep.

* * *

The next mid-morning, we were all standing outside the command center again.

Edward turned to us as she prepared to leave, "I'm off!"

Nina held up her hand, "Big Brother…"

Edward turned back around, but Nina became shy again and hid her hands (and what was in them) behind her back, giggling.

"Nina." Alphonse encouraged.

I also grinned, "Just give it to him already."

Nina nodded, took a few steps forward and held out a rolled up piece of paper to Edward. The blonde girl took it from her offered hand, unrolled it and gasped slightly. It was a coloured in drawing of Edward, Nina, Alexander, Alphonse, Me and a Transmutation Circle.

"It's an incantation to grant your wish." Nina explained, grinning.

I felt tears in the corner of my eyes, "Oh Nina…"

Edward closed her eyes and smiled, "Thanks, Nina."

I started bawling like a little baby, grabbed Nina and hugged her tightly, "Oh Nina that was so adorable, I think you're cuteness is gonna kill me!"

Nina squealed and giggled, pushing against me slightly, "Celina-chan, let me down!"

"Never!" I cried, hugging her even tighter, "It would be a sin to let such an adorable and innocent being make any more unnecessary contact with such a cruel and tainted world! I'll never let you go again, my little sister!"

Everyone laughed at that, even me and Nina.

Edward sighed once she had her breath back and turned again, waving slightly with a smile on her face, "Well, I'm off. Wish me luck, guys."

Alexander woofed, Nina called, "Okay.", Alphonse cried, "Do you're best, Brother!" but I stood there and grinned, "You won't need it, hot-stuff, just show 'em what you got!"

With that, she was sprinting into the building. Nina climbed onto Alphonse's shoulders in hopes of seeing over the top of the building and into the parade grounds, though it was a fruitless attempt.

"I hope Big Brother is alright." Nina said, open-minded.

If he had a face, Alphonse would have smiled, "He has your incantation, Nina, so he'll be fine."

Suddenly, we all noticed a large shadow falling on us and when we looked up, it appeared to be some kind of balloon, leaving all of us gasping and Alexander barking.

"Did Big Brother make that?!" Nina gasped.

"I don't think so." I admitted.

Suddenly, it burst and went flying all over the place. I heard men and women gasping and panicking and it made me worried.

What's happening to Edward?!

Then, there was a bright light and from the sky came falling flower petals. We all gasped and raised our heads to see a halo of flowers in the sky with wings sprouting out of them.

"WOW!" Nina cheered, "HOW AMAZINGLY PRETTY!"

I laughed, "That's Ed's work alright!"

* * *

Not even an hour later, we had it printed down on paper for the world to know.

 _Edward Elric: State Alchemist Certification Exam  
PASSED_

With the sun setting behind us, while Nina who had gotten tired and fallen asleep was being carried by Edward, I was having a piggy-back by Alphonse and Alexander strode along beside us. Despite the hectic day, everything had gone rather smoothly and it turned out alright in the end.

Then, Edward stopped and turned around, calling, "Al, Celly…"

Alphonse and Alexander stopped and I lifted my head to show I was listening.

"I'm going to stop all my wavering." The blonde declared, eyes bright with determination, "I'm going to just look straight ahead and race forwards. And if I dead-end, then I'll deal with it then." She adjusted Nina's form on her back slightly and held out her right arm of Automail in a fist, "Someday, no matter what, I'm going to return you back to the way you were!"

Alphonse nodded his head, "And when you do, Brother, your whole body will be right there with me."

Alphonse also placed his fist out and fist-bumped Edward. It made me grin and jump down from Alphonse's shoulders and hold up my fist to bump it with their's.

"And I'll make you guys the best dinner you could ever ask for to make sure that your stomachs are still working right." I declared, grinning.

The Elrics smiled at me and I smiled back at them.

With that promise made, we walked down the streets, the sunset lights making everything different, as I stood between Alexander and Edward, who had Alphonse right next to him.

 _If only I had known back then… that this glorious moment would shatter like glass and seem like a memory too distant to ever recall._


	5. Alchemist Assessment Day

The next day, Edward got called to the command center to receive her Silver Pocket Watch that would prove her status as a State Alchemist, leaving the rest of us at the Tucker Estate. I did chores for a while, but then got bored and decided to go play in what was left of the snow with Nina, Alexander and Alphonse while we waited for the Big Girl in Red to arrive.

"Ta-daa!"

 _Speak of the Alchemist and she shall appear._

There stood Edward, proudly showing off her watch for the world to see, making me grin at the sight and mirroring her own. In her hand was the legendary Silver Pocket Watch I had only ever seen once; it had the Amestrian symbol on it (an argent dragon rampant) inside a hexagon and a wreath of laurel leaves.

Alphonse was astonished, "Brother, is that the real thing?"

Alexander, excited as the rest of us, charged towards the watch, but Edward managed to keep it out of his reach… until the clever dog grabbed the chain in his mouth and began running with it around the yard, Edward hot on his heels.

"Fooling around again…" Alphonse sighed.

I laughed at the sight, "At least we're getting some entertainment for once!"

"I'm gonna kick your ass for saying that, Celina!" Edward growled as she ran past us, trying to get Alexander again, "As soon as I get this stupid dog to give me my watch back!"

I laughed again, "Just try it, Elric!"

The man who drove Edward here, a blonde tall guy who looked to be a Warrant Officer and a smoker, grinning as Edward was chased by Alexander, but then seemed to notice something, take the cigarette he had out of his mouth and stepped on it. He then moved into a salute and that was when I realized it; Tucker was out of his office for once.

"Everyone is talking about him." The Warrant Officer stated, "Whoever would have thought that a 12-year-old could pass the certification exam?"

I did.

"Prodigies." Tucker stated calmly watching Ed get chased, "They do exist."

Something about that statement seemed to surprise the soldier because he suddenly perked up. The reaction seemed to have gone unnoticed by everyone else, but not me; I am kinda observant.

"Well," Tucker suddenly clapped his hands, gaining everyone's attention, "to celebrate Edward-kun passing his exam, we're going to have a big feast today!"

What?! Oh man… That means I'm gonna need to make even more then I usually do. I mean, I love cooking and all but Tucker's a slave driver! No really.

"Terrific!" Nina cheered with her hands raised up high as she sat in Alphonse's crossed-legged lap.

"You mean it?!" Edward gasped, her watch finally back in her hands.

"Uh-huh," Tucker nodded and turned to the escort, "Would you like to join us?"

He chuckled, "I wish I could but I still have work to do."

"Is that so?" Tucker turned around and started heading back for the mansion.

"Ah, Tucker-san!" The Soldier called suddenly, his hand raised, "I have a message from Lieutenant Colonel Mustang for you. 'Assessment Day will be here soon. I'm looking forward to it'."

So, he's one of Mustang's men, is he?

Tucker had tensed up at the mention of it, "Yes, I know."

Edward, Alphonse and I had watched the exchange while Nina played with Alexander for a bit.

* * *

A few hours later, with the dark of night outside and the light of the fire inside, we all sat at the dinner table, eating our fill and Alphonse pretending to eat.

"This Assessment thing," Edward suddenly asked, "is it for State Alchemists?"

Tucker nodded, "Mm-hmm. If I don't report the findings of my research and get evaluated once every year, my certification as a State Alchemist will be taken from me."

"That's rough." Alphonse sympathies.

Tucker gave a humorless chuckle, "Last year I didn't receive a good evaluation, so I have to do better this year."

"Let 'em have it, Papa!" Nina cheered, her hands raised high.

Alphonse smiled at Nina and then turned back to Tucker, "Will you go with a Chimera that can understand human speech?"

I felt sick to my stomach at the thought; I still hate the thought of someone creating Chimeras. I can't understand what the Chimeras that Tucker makes are saying, but they always sound like they're in pain. As if their living conditions are so terrible and they're in so much agony that they'd rather die than stay there. If only I could help them somehow…

"Once you complete it, please show us, okay?" Edward requested, smiling.

I won't hold it against her for wanting to see it and being impressed with the idea; she's an Alchemist, she finds anything to do with Alchemy interesting. That'll never change the fact that I still feel sick with sympathy every time I see one of Tucker's Chimeras staring at me with their wide and pain-filled eyes.

"Sure, I promise." Tucker stated, smiling way too nervously, "Once it's complete, I'll be sure to let you two have a look at it."

Tucker turned his head and smiled at Nina, who smiled at her daddy like he was the best thing in the world. The Elrics watched the exchange with fond smiles of their own, but I just continued eating, hoping that I wouldn't feel as sick once I had proper food down my throat instead of climbing up it.


	6. The Brightest Times Hide-

That night, when Nina and I came into the Elrics' room, Edward was sitting on the bed while Alphonse was at the desk. Nina, curious as can be, looked over at the desk as did I to see him writing what appeared to be a letter.

"A letter," Nina noticed, "who are you writing to?"

Alphonse tensed up and if armor could blush, I think his face would have gone beat red as he used his arms to cover the paper, "I-it doesn't matter who it's too!"

"Ahhh," Edward made a positively evil sound, a Devil's grin lighting up her face, "it's to Winry, isn't it, Al?"

"I-it's just a simple report!" Alphonse began stumbling through his words, "Ed's become a State Alchemist, we've made some good friends, how's the weather back in Resembool, that sort of thing!"

At the end he stood up, face in the air and his helmet nose had gotten longer.

"Is Winry Bigger Brother's girlfriend?" Nina asked innocently, note-pad and pens under her arm.

It was like someone had thrown cold water over a hot pan; steam exploded from Alphonse's suddenly very pink armored head, I swear his entire helmet had turned as red as the blood in seal. I nearly burst out laughing right then and there.

Edward, with her evil aura still going strong, knelled forward slightly, "As a matter of fact-"

"No!" Alphonse began dancing around like an embarrassed little teenage boy, "She's not! She's not! She's not! She's not!"

That was what made me burst out laughing. I was laughing so hard, I fell to the flour, clenching my stomach and even then I couldn't stop laughing. I vaguely heard Nina saying something about a letter and plopping down on the flour and that was when I finally managed to calm down a little bit. I rolled on to my stomach to see her drawing in a page on her not book.

Looks like she's sending another drawing to her mother.

"Say, your Mom lives far away, right?" Alphonse asked, curiously.

"Uh-hu." Nina said with her head raised proudly as if she had it all figured out, "She said Dad was a good-for-nothing and she couldn't put up with him anymore, so she went back to her parents' house."

Edward chuckled slightly, uncertainty.

But then Nina lowered her head, whispering, "I hope Mom sends me a reply this time."

I got up from my place on the ground and patted the girl on her head; so young to be without her mother, she doesn't even have memories of the times before her parents fought the nights away while she'd hid behind Alexander. It makes me sick to think they'd allow Nina to see that stuff; no child should have to see their parents fighting.

Alphonse seemed to have had similar thoughts to my own since once I had patted her head for a few moments, he also smothered her. Nina giggled at the contact and then went back to drawing.

* * *

A few hours later, after drawing a picture of a woman with short blonde hair, Nina, Tucker and a Alexander puppy in it, the real Nina was fast asleep on the flour-boards. Tucker came in and picked her up, sighing as he held her in his arms. Alphonse picked up the note-pad while I grabbed Nina's crayons; both of us handed them to Tucker.

Tucker sighed but smiled at the Elrics reassuringly, "My wife, Marie, couldn't stand being poor and left us. That was just before I became a State Alchemist."

The Elrics made sounds of acknowledgement while I started dry scrubbing the flour with my sleeve to get rid of the crayon marks.

"If my certification is taken from me," Tucker continued, "we'll fall back to the way things were back then. If I'm going to keep this lifestyle, I have to pass this assessment, no matter what."

"Papa, good luck studying…" Nina murmured, sleepily.

I couldn't stop the smile; it was way too hard to not think Nina was adorable in every single way. God, I hope she'll never change on the inside.


	7. The Darkest Secrets

The next morning, long past sun-rise, I was up and already cleaning up the dining room. Out in the hallways, I hard barking and lifted my head to see Alexander on a leash.

"I get it, you wanna go for a walk, right?" Edward sighed.

I chuckled softly and stood up, as if about to go and see her, when something caught my eye. In the burning bowl on the table was some half burned scraps of paper.

"Ed, come in here!" I called.

Edward, looking uninterested at first, came into the dining room, Alexander following after her. She picked up the paper and uncurled it to see…

"What?!" I gasped.

It was the picture Nina had drawn last night; half burned, rolled into a ball but it was that picture. Edward and I looked between each other, gulping.

"We need to find out what's going on in this house." She said.

I nodded, "I'll say I'm going for a walk with Alexander and you. We act causal and leave casually."

"We go to Central Library to find out what we can. I'm a State Alchemist now, so I should be able to get us in with my name and watch." Edward stated.

I nodded, "We leave in 15 minutes; I need to hid the drawing and change my cloths."

"I'll wait by the front door." The blonde finished.

With that settled, we did what we said we would and ran like Hell for Central Command.

* * *

"Not this simple stuff." Edward dismissed, "I want to find out about a Chimera that a man named Tucker created two years ago!"

When we got there, while I tied Alexander to a post, promising him that Edward and I would be back soon, we turned around and ran for the Library. The Librarian at the front desk gave us a log of some sorts, but I couldn't understand a thing in it; all I got was it was about Chimeras.

"Please, miss, you have to tell us!" I begged.

The Librarian, a woman with dark skin, black hair and kind brown eyes, just looked at us as if we were clueless children, but then turned to a woman in the back with a mountain of books in her arms, "Hey, Sheska, do you know about this?"

The other Librarian Sheska, a pretty woman with glasses, gentle green eyes, light skin and chestnut brown hair, looked at us uncertainty, "Shou Tucker's reports are restricted reading."

"Would you check it out, please? I'm not any ordinary person, here!" Edward stated and held up her watch.

Sheska sweat-dropped slightly, those books still in her arms, "That's not what I meant. Unless you have permission from Brigadier General Basque Grand-" she then proceeded to trip and fall and I just wanted to jump over the front desk and go help her.

But I was barely tall enough to have my eyes above the counter-top, I couldn't help her. Dang it, I hate being useless.

"Brigadier General Grand?" Edward questioned.

I thought long and hard, trying to recall some sort of memory from my time listening to the radio. I then got one.

"The Iron Blood Alchemist?" I asked, "The one from the Ishvalan war?"

The woman seemed surprised I mentioned that so calmly, but nodded, "He's the foremost authority to redirecting alchemy to military techniques. If you need his permission, then it must be some big military secret."

"A military secret?" Edward questioned.

I tugged on her sleeve, "Come on; we won't be able to get anything more out of them now."

Edward sighed; with that, we turned around and walked out the front door.

"You can't go in! Please stop!"

I lifted my head to see a guard in uniform trying to stop a dark-skinned, white-haired man wearing civilian cloths and sunglasses with an x-shaped scar on his forehead from entering the library.

"The first branch is for State Alchemists only," the Guard explained as the man tried to step around him, "and no one without permission from the military can enter."

"But I was told that this is the only place where I would find out!" The Scarred man yelled.

He shoved right past the guard and I felt myself gulping in nervousness. As he walked past us, Edward grabbed his arm with her metal hand, halting him where he stood.

"What?!" The Scarred man demanded.

Edward turned her face to the man and gave him a sheepish and apologetic smile, "Sorry, but those seem to be the rules."

He continued on as if he hadn't heard her, but Edward didn't let go and ended up ripping the sleeve right off his tanned skirt. And revealing a tattoo underneath. Their pair gasped, Edward in surprise and the Scarred man in shock.

Edward took a few steps back to regain her balance, but when I saw the look on her face, it wasn't just surprise there… there was recognition. The man snatched the sleeve from out of her hand and ran off, the Guard following him close behind.

 _If only I'd know back then, what a big part this man would play in my life… I would have killed him if I had known back then. But I didn't… and that cost so many people dearly._


	8. My Disgusting Discovery

**AN: I don't do these things very often, but I'm gonna say this anyway.**

 **Response to Transmuted Guest's comment: You're right, that does happen a bit too much but the thought of Nina's older adoptive sister coming into the plot and crying about what happened just wouldn't leave me alone and I know a lot of people do this thing (make OC siblings, keep Nina killed off) but I couldn't help myself and I'm very sorry because I don't usually do that sort of thing. However, I promise that this story will be different. I don't want to ruin too much, but I will make a change that will probably make my OC become a Mary-Sue in some people's eyes, but at least it'll be different then the whole "Nina and Alexander die and OC older sister changes everything from events to pairings" theme that authors always seem to have going on.**

 **I hope the changes I've made from the original plot don't upset/insult you because it took me a lot of thinking in order to make sure I didn't end up making things too incredibly stupid or Mary-Sue ish.**

* * *

After the incident at Central Library, we decided to head for the Hughes' household since Hughes may know or be able to find out a thing or two about the secrets that surround Tucker's Chimera. He did say he was in the Investigations Department after all. But as soon as we got there…

"Look, Elicia-chan! It's your Big Brother and Sister, Edward and Celina! Say hi to them, darling!"

He was being a doting father and ignoring everything we had to say in exchange for showing off the very cute and very quiet baby Elicia. I don't blame him since Elicia IS adorable, but this is important.

"Honey," Gracia, the Hero of the Day, took Elicia out of her husband's arms and told him, "pay attention to what they have to say."

As soon as she was in her mother's arms, Elicia was cooing and giggling as her mother gently (and probably subconsciously) rocked her in her arms while patting her shoulder softly. Gracia made some cooing noises in return and I don't think there wasn't a single person in the room who could possibly feel negative with such a sight before us.

Gracia lifted her head and smiled at Edward and I, "Go ahead, take your time."

She then walked out the door, probably to feed Elicia or something, leaving a sulking Hughes behind her. He lifted his head, a pout that no adult is supposed to have, firmly set on his lips, "Let's see, Tucker's Chimera, right?"

"Uh-huh. That's what we can information on, please." I told him.

Edward added in, "Major, you're in the Investigations Department right? I thought you might know something."

Hughes tilted slightly, "You could just ask him yourself, couldn't you?"

Edward faked a sheepish grin, "Yeah, but he's so busy now, just before his assessment and all."

Hughes hummed, "I don't know all that much myself. They say that Tucker is the first person in all of history to create a Chimera that could speak and understand the human language."

"You're sure about that?" Edward questioned.

That actually got me thinking for a second; is that even true? Is Tucker really the first person to make a talking Chimera? What did the poor thing say anyway?

Hughes nodded, "I hear that the Chimera definitely said one thing; 'I want to die'."

Edward flinched and I gasped.

Hughes crossed his legs and waved his hand off-handily, "Apparently, after that, it didn't eat and got it's wish granted."

"Sounds like the poor thing was in an immense about of pain." I said, wishing I had gotten into Central sooner so I could help the poor thing.

"I wonder why Tucker-san would create such a thing…" Edward trailed off.

"Who knows?" Hughes questioned, "But there was someone in the Military who thought there was some value in utilizing it; how do you think he got that mansion?"

"What about Tucker's wife?" Edward questioned.

Hughes looked at us curiously, "Ah, you mean the one that died before they arrived in Central?"

Edward and I gasped in shock; and suddenly, I have a very scary thought.

 _What if Tucker had used his wife, Marie, to make that Chimera?_

I felt nauseous just from the thought of it; Tucker was a man who used creatures to create unnatural and mindless beasts most of the time, I'd been in that study of his and I could see the anguish and pain in those poor things' eyes. I wanted to help them and whenever I knew Tucker wasn't in there, I'd be feeding the frail animals leftovers from dinner and doing my best to make their lives better. I knew I wasn't doing much and I was mostly useless, but I couldn't stand seeing them all so hurt and frail.

"Am I mistaken?" Hughes asked.

 _If Tucker could turn his own wife into something like that, could he also-_

I stood up the same time the phone rang and ran out the door, heading as fast as I could to the Tucker estate. I didn't slow down to see if Edward or Hughes were coming after me, or watch to see where I was going; I just ran, the thoughts in my head pushing me onward.

 _Nina, Alexander and Alphonse are alone with Tucker right now!_

 _What if Tucker did something to them?!_

 _What if he found out Alphonse was empty?_

 _What if he tried to make another talking Chimera out of Nina and Alexander?!_

 _What if he was doing all these horrible things right now?!_

What if, what if, what ifs were racing through my mind as I ran through the front gates and right past Alexander, who barked when he saw me, but I gave it no heed. I slammed open the door and ran for the basement, not caring if Tucker was going to be there or not.

I had to stop him, I had to, I had to, I had to for Nina's sake, I have to protect her!

"TUCKER!" I screamed as I ran into the laboratory under the house.

All the Chimeras he'd made over the years, each one trapped in a cage, yowling, howling and crying out, reaching out for help, for me were ignored for nothing more than a split second. Then I turned to them and felt all my fears gathering up in one place.

Everyone here had their souls, minds and bodies ripped apart and then smashed back together into a new body, soul and mind that was in nothing more than constant pain. And if Nina and Alexander were down here, then they'd become just like this.

"I'm sorry everyone, but," I turned my attention to the room at the end of this place, "I won't be able to feed you guys anymore."

I walked past all the Chimeras down here, each one of them roaring to the top of their lungs in an attempt to make their pain go away; but no matter what, it wouldn't leave any of their bodies or souls. They were trapped forever with their new bodies and there's nothing in the world I can do to save them, but… I can save Nina and Alexander. And I damn well will.

I smashed the door to his study open and looked around to see Tucker sitting at his desk, a book in hand and a cage by his feet.

"Celina?" He turned around and looked at me, the light of the candles reflecting on his glasses and hiding his eyes, "What are you doing down here?"

I scowled at him, "Don't play innocent, you bastard. You're the one who turned Marie Tucker, your own wife, into a Chimera after all just because you wanted a better lifestyle."

For a while, Tucker was silent, but then he lifted his head and scowled at me, "This is why I regretted adopting you the second you got here, you're nothing short of Marie's incarnation, you son of a bitch."

I released a feral growl and ran at him, "YOU BASTARD!"

I jumped at the bastard, but Tucker grabbed my neck and squeezed. I kicked and squirmed, grabbing at his hands and trying to get him to let go of my neck, but he wouldn't get off.

"Do you even realize how much you look like my dead-wife, right?" Tucker scowled at me, "The hair and eye color, your skin tone, your voice; you're nothing short of a copy of her. That is what nature designed you to be however."

"W-" My vision was getting blurry, "What are you talking about you diluted creature?"

Tucker hissed at me, "I never adopted you, you were always Marie's child. Nina was the one who was adopted."

I would have gasped if I could have, "Wh-what?"

Tucker hissed at me again and tossed me to the ground. I grunted when my back hit the stone and I had all the air in my lungs knocked out of me.

Tucker stood over me, glaring, "Marie and I were dating for one year before you came along, then we got married and you were born 9 months after that precious wedding. However you were far too weird for your age; you started talking a mere week after you were born, by the time you were 6 months old you could read as well as any educated adult could. You were so unnatural, it was disgusting. So, before you could give us anymore grief, I decided to send you to an ex-old friend who didn't have the ability to give his wife any children; the two of them were very pleased to have such a pretty and young punching bag."

I gasped, remembering Morgan and Richard, "You… You sent me to live with those horrible people knowing they would do that stuff to me?!"

Tucker ignored me for laughing manically instead, "And as luck would have it, our neighbor's house burned down that very night and the only survivors were a Great Pyrenees puppy and their daughter who wasn't even old enough to be named yet. So, me and my wife, being the kind people we were, took them in, named them Alexander and Nina respectively and you were forgotten. No actually, you were replaced."

"No," I mumbled, "No, that can't be true. You're insane!" I screamed, "You're lying to me!"

"But then, the worker's wages started going down and the prices for everything were going up," Tucker carried on, ignoring me, "soon, I couldn't even afford to buy bread or milk and all we'd ever have at the dinner table was half full bowls of soup that were at least a day too old for eating. Marie and I fought every night over the money, we couldn't ever seem to stop and poor little Nina would have to stand there and watch as her precious big Daddy hero got talked down by a witch; so I decided to finally do something about it. I combined Marie with another animal, some feral cat I caught and presented her in my exam, which led to me finally having enough money to take care of myself, Nina and Alexander. But I was never good at keeping the house clean, that had always been Marie's job and someone had to bring home the bacon; so I tracked you down and once I found you, I adopted you to take your mother's place in the household and everything went back to the way it should have been. Me urging the money, an older woman doing the dishes while a precious daughter was running around the house, playing with her best friend, her pet dog." He stood there in silence, but then his head feel so his chin touched his chest and he looked at the ground sadly, "But it looks like that's all going to have to change once again for the sake of Nina's future. I do hope you'll forgive me, Marie."

I couldn't move, I couldn't talk; I couldn't even do anything. I stared at Tucker, watching as he opened up the cage that had been at his legs and pulled out a creature that looked like a hybrid between a dog and a tiger.

"What?" I gasped, staring at the frail thing, "What is that?"

Tucker smirked, his face twisting into something feral and inhuman, "Why, this is your new best friend, Celina. His name's Tai and he's a Thylacine."

I gasped in shock, "But they've been extinct for 30 years, there's no way that could be a Thylacine!"

Tucker adjusted his glasses, "I'm afraid not, Celina. The little pests are very much alive and running all around the country; they were just smart enough to keep out of the way of humans. But not this little guy; it would seem he was too stupid to realize he was giving away the fact that his species existed and that is now going to cost his entire race the peace they had until recently. Or was it his father who I first discovered. Either way, I've used these guys a few times before in my experiments; it would only make sense if I used one now with a human."

I hissed at him, "You won't use me or Tai in anymore of your sick experiments, Tucker. I'm taking you down right here and now!"

Tucker smirked at me, sickly, "That's where you're wrong, Celina."

Suddenly, he clapped his hands and placed them on a transmutation circle on the ground. The flour around me light up as I looked around in shock and surprise. The Chimera's screams from outside could be heard and the last thing I remembered hearing was a little voice in my head whispering;

"I'm so sorry, Celina my girl. Please forgive me."


	9. Night of the Chimera

**AN: Looks like I'm doing this again.**

 **Okay, for anyone who was wondering, yes a Thylacine is a real creature; they were nicknamed Tasmanian Tigers before they became extinct in the wild and captivity. However there are apparently a lot of sightings, so some people believe they're still around. You decide for yourself what the truth is.** **If you want to find out more about them, please Google search "Thylacine" and click on the link titled "The Thylacine Museum - Natural Worlds". It should have the right information there.**

 **And for Transmuted Guest: I'm glad you like it so far; right now I'm thinking of asking you to be my personal "You're starting to screw up, stop now" warning button since you give such good advice. Do you have an account on any other websites? Because I'd really like to be in touch with you regularly, I think you're pretty cool.** **And yeah, sorry about that "Deluded/Diluted" thing. I have Dyslexia, which gives me trouble in the reading/writing department on a regular basis and mistakes like that can be made more often then they're noticed I think. Sorry! I'll fix it once I find the free time, I promise I will.** **I've never heard of TVTropes before, but if I have the time, I'll check it out. I do want to become a better writer after all and be able to thrill people a bit more.**

 **Oh, and as for the rest of you, in this chapter we'll be seeing things from Ed's POV because I don't really know what to do here since some important things happened when Celina wasn't in the right state of mind to notice and record them properly.**

* * *

That night, Al and I snuck into the Tucker estate after un-arming, tying up and gagging the guards. I haven't seen Celina since she ran out of Hughes' house; something was very wrong here and I need to find out what before it was too late.

As we crept down the hallways with Al's metal constantly clanking, he asked me, "What if by doing this, the certification you worked so hard to get is taken away?"

I walked on, unnerved by the suggestion, "If there's nothing here, it'll be fine with me."

 _I have to make sure they're safe; I have to._

Al and I walked down into the basement where Tucker kept his Chimeras and I felt my stomach dropping dramatically. Everything down here looked disgusting and in pain. Some of the creatures were reaching out, trying to grab us while some just curled up in their cages and glared at us.

"Over here." Tucker's voice called.

I flinched momentarily, but then stepped forwards with Al behind me. We headed for the light at the end of the hallway and opened the double doors as far as we could.

"Come on in." Tucker invited us, not even turning around when the door was opened.

We entered the room and suddenly, I felt like I was in a necromancer's house. Transmutation circles, some black some red, were on all the walls and flour. The bookcase was completely full of books and his desk was littered with even more books and paper.

"Have a look." Tucker offered and stepped aside, revealing his newest Chimera.

I gasped at the sight of it.

It was shaped like a medium-to-large-size dog with an orange coat and black stripes on it's lower back and legs with a very stiff tail ending it's body. On it's stomach there appeared to be some kind of pouch there, like that of a kangaroo, but I couldn't be sure. It had a red mane starting from it's head and reaching it's mid-back where the stripes took it's place on the Chimera. It had a snout that probably hid many teeth as well as ocean-green, once life-filled now mostly pain-filled and dead eyes.

"It's a finished version of a Chimera that can understand human speech." Tucker explained, knelling beside it, "Listen, that person is Edward, got it?"

The Chimera had turned it's head to look at Tucker, but then back to me, grumbling, "Ed…ward…"

"That's right, nicely done." Tucker patted the Chimera on the head and I felt puke making it's way up my throat.

"Nicely…done…" The Chimera stumbled.

Alphonse hadn't noticed a thing, he was awestruck, "Unbelievable! It really is talking!"

Tucker stood up and let out a sigh of relief, rubbing his head as he congratulated himself, "Somehow, I managed to make it in time for the assessment. I now realize that the last one was too old to adapt so a younger specimen was definitely a better option this time around. Now I can get by without having to worry about research funding."

I walked over to the Chimera, who lifted it's head when it saw me coming. It whimpered as I came stomach to nose with it and tried to retreat by standing up straighter, but then it looked like it was arguing with itself before placing it's head under my hand. I fell to a knee and gently rubbed the Chimera's head while it sniffed my wrist.

Then, it turned it's eyes to me and I suddenly found it nearly impossible to breath; because of the puke in my throat or the tears I'm nearly choking on, I can't tell.

The Chimera lifted her head a little bit higher and closer to mine, "Ed…ward…"

I sniffed and would have hugged her to try to take the pain away, "It's okay, C. You'll be okay, somehow."

This time when she spoke, her voice broke, "Ed…ward…why are… you cry…ing? Are you…hurting? What do I... do to make it... make it... better?"

I stood up and sucked in a breath, praying to a God I didn't believe in that I could hold my hit together; at least long enough to ask Tucker my questions.

"Brother?" Al called, taking a clunky step forwards.

"Tucker-san?" I called, temporarily ignoring Al.

He lifted the head in questioning, "Something the matter?"

"When was the first time you transmuted a Chimera that could understand the human language?" I asked.

"I told you, didn't I?" He questioned, sounding oh so fucking innocent, "2 years ago."

"And when did your wife leave you?" I questioned.

"That was also 2 years ago." Tucker answered.

I remembered that horrible discovery Celina and I made this morning, "Do Nina's letters still reach your wife?"

"What are you trying to say, Edward?" Tucker questioned, as if wondering about my intelligence.

"I just have one more question, Tucker-san," I lifted my head and showed him just how angry I was, "Where has Celina gone?!"

Alphonse gasped in shock and fear and I think I heard a squeak behind me, but I didn't dare turn my head; I was too busy waiting for Tucker to answer me. He sighed, disappointed and moved his head so the light from his candle wasn't hiding his eyes anymore.

"I hate perceptive brats like you, it's no wonder I hated Celina the second I saw that maturity and knowledge in her damned eyes." Tucker sneered at us.

I felt my rage take hold of me and suddenly, I had grabbed Tucker's shirt and shoved him against the wall, ready to smash my Automail fist in his face.

"Brother!" Alphonse gasped.

"Yeah, that's right!" I growled.

Al's breath grew shaky, "Your own wife…?!"

"And now, this time," I felt my rage increase with every word I said, "he used his own adoptive daughter and some dog thing to transmute a talking Chimera!"

I heard Al's and another voice gasp but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"It's so much easier to use people, huh?! Aren't I right?!" I screamed in the bastard's face.

"What are you so upset about, Edward-kun?" Tucker asked, smugly, "As is typical of medical science, the advancement of mankind comes as the results of countless animal experiments, doesn't it? Since you too are a scientist-"

"Stop messing around!" I screamed, "Do you think you can get away with something like this?! With toying around with people's lives like that?!"

"People's lives?" Tucker questioned, but then he laughed, "Right, people's lives, indeed! Your arm and leg, and your brother's body; aren't they the result of toying around with people's lives, too?!"

Suddenly, it was like everything else in the world was gone and the only thing I had left was the rage within me that wouldn't shut up about killing Tucker; but it wasn't the only thing that wouldn't shut up.

Tucker wouldn't stop laughing, even after I punched him.

I was going to do it again, but Al grabbed my arm before I could unleash it.

"Why, Tucker? Didn't you need to pass your assessment," Alphonse sounded twice as angry as I felt, "so that you could continue to live this life with Celina, Nina and Alexander?"

Tucker took some time to think, "I had no reason to create that Chimera."

I felt my blood run cold at the words.

"The possibility was there before my eyes, so I tried it. A Chimera that could understand human words; I just wanted to see if I could make one." He finished.

I think I heard soft sobbing somewhere, maybe it was me, I couldn't tell, "You've got to be kidding me…"

Tucker went on, "I knew that it was anathema, but I couldn't help myself from trying out a human transmutation. You are the same as I am."

I felt desperation grabbing and twisting my heart, "I'M NOT!"

"As a scientist, no, as a person," Tucker wouldn't stop, his words haunting, "there's no bonds to your desire to put your own knowledge into practice. You want to test out what kind of power has been given to you, by learning all of the secrets that are hidden in this world. That is the essence of Alchemy."

Again, I had nothing but my rage to hold on to. I punched him and this time, I let him fall onto the ground instead of keeping him held up; there was a satisfying sound of glass breaking.

"We're not…" I panted, "Alchemy isn't…" I panted again, "this sort of thing…" I lifted my head and screamed, "I'M NOT LIKE THAT!"

I punched Tucker again and again, telling myself I wasn't like that, I wasn't a monster-

"Big… Brother?"

I felt my blood run cold as I turned my head to see my greatest dream and worst nightmare in one go; Nina and Alexander were standing there, alive and well, but… Nina was looking at me like she didn't know who I was or was scared of me and I felt my heart shatter into a million little pieces, never to be put back together the same way ever again.

"Nina…" Alphonse would have choked if he could cry.

Nina stared at all of us; the bloody and half-beaten Tucker, me with his blood on my cheeks, Alphonse who stood there in fear and Celina, who at some point had stopped just sitting where she was and instead, had crawled towards her sibling.

"Daddy turned Celina and Mommy into…" Nina's eyes were spilling with tears always, "Chimeras?"

Celina approached her sister, but Nina just flinched and hid behind Alexander. Celina's face contorted to an even more pained look; she had the eyes of someone ready to die. Alexander whimpered slightly and approached her; he sniffed her then licked her nose. That seemed to make Celina feel better because she lifted her head slightly, but she still looked miserable in that body.

I have to help her.

I walked over to Celina and knelled before her, "Celina, this will hurt a little, but bear with me."

I stood up and prepared to clap, but Al interrupted me, "Brother! Are you planning to re-transmute her? That's something we can't do!"

Nina looked over at Celina and me and slowly stopped out from behind Alexander to get to Celina.

But Tucker's laughing had her cowering behind her older sibling, "My Chimera has been perfectly transmuted! Nobody can return it to the way it was before! Be careful! Make sure you don't do to her what you did to your mother!"

My eyes widened in terror as memories of that horrible night of 2 years ago came back to haunt me. I lowered my hands before I could slap and Celina tilted her head slightly.

Nina started crying into her older sibling's mane Celina did her best to comfort her; turning around and resting her head on her shoulder in an arm-less hug. Alexander came over to the girls and rubbed his head against the side of Celina's neck in what I imagined was a comforting fashion.

Suddenly, soldiers and Brigadier General Grand was there with them, demanding, "What's going on here, Edward Elric?!"

"He…" I struggled to get the words out, "used his own daughter."

Grand bared his teeth, but didn't say anything.

* * *

A few hours later, after a few calls were made, not only did Grand have the Military Police here to drag Tucker away, but at our request had called Hughes for us. Hughes was there and comforting Nina for us, who had fallen asleep crying. He put a leash on Alexander and after nodding to us, he climbed back into his car and leaf.

Meanwhile, Celina had been put in a cage like some animal and Tucker had been tied up; he was being escorted into the same van as her now.

"The Chimera and Tucker will be dealt with in conjunction with a court martial." Grand informed me, making my insides crawl, "You will not speak of what you saw here to anyone else."

"Hold on!" I yelled, angry and tried to attack him, only to be restraint, "You guys knew all along what Tucker's done, haven't you?! You're just getting rid of the evide-"

SMACK!

There was a horrible pain in my stomach and it was the only thing I could focus on as I was let go to crumble to the floor. I didn't hear anything else for a moment, other than Al's worried voice and Grand's car pulling away.

"Damn it," I hissed, "I'm not about to let you whisk them away."

I clapped my hands and sent a shock-wave through the ground. It caused the car Celina was in to topple and that left the doors to swing right open. I stood up, still holding my stomach, and saw Celina walking out of the van, hesitantly. She sniffed around for a bit in confusion.

"Celly!" I called to her.

Celina lifted her head in my direction, but then started running the other way. I gasped and went after her, Al right behind me. But we never caught up to her. We never found Celina that night. I ran around the city until I threw up and passed out…

Never to know if she was okay. Only to ever know that it was all my fault.


	10. The Chimera Diaries, Prologue

**AN: Sorry this one is so short, I knew I should have done more, but oh well.**

 **Transmuted Guest: Yeah, I didn't plan on having Celina blown up, I felt like puking when I saw it happen in the Anime. And I like the idea of Hughes becoming Nina's new Daddy and her getting a turn to be the Big Sister; I planned on having Nina end up in the Hughes household from the beginning. It also makes sense since she's just been through a traumatic experience and probably needs the love and support of people she trusts. The 'Human Identity Struggle' sounds like a great one! I hope I can incorporate it into the story without it turning out horrible.**

 **I can't promise that I will check out TVTropes since I am a busy person, but I'll remember that when I go on it. See ya later! :)**

* * *

I ran through the streets, every inch of my new body was hurting and I didn't like it one bit. I wanted to pass out but my new instincts wouldn't let me; they told me to get to the lair in a dark and dry cave or hallow tree, get back to mate and cubs, bring them food or they'll die.

Edward and Alphonse were still chasing me, they wouldn't stop, but they had to eventually, I didn't want them to see me anymore. Not when I was like this. Not when they were humans, my instincts insisted.

I found a crack in the walls that my new body would fit in and crawled in as it started to rain outside. I felt my body shiver at the drop in temperature and shook my fur about, hoping the cold would leave me alone. I curled up on the cold floor and fell asleep.

And that night, I dreamed again.

* * *

 _"Hello!" I called, in my human body as the Thylacine from before walked beside me._

 _I had no answer, so I turned to my fury companion, frowning slightly. Why was he in my dream, anyway? Are we supposed to do something together? I sighed again; I don't know what to do, but at least the pain can't get me while I'm sleeping._

 _"You know, Tai isn't my name."_

 _I turned around and looked at the talking Thylacine beside me, unflinching, "I guessed that; Tucker just called you that because he's an idiot."_

 _"My name is actually Logan. It means 'Little Hollow'." He told me._

 _I smiled at him, "I'm Celina. It means 'Moon Goddess of the Sky and Heaven'."_

 _Logan chuckled, "A Goddess and a Hollow, huh? What a perfect match."_

 _I also laughed, "I guess so. So, I guess we're body-buddies now, huh?"_

 _Logan gave a grin of sorts, "I guess we can call it that. This way please." Then he started walking, "I've got a lot to teach you about being a Thylacine."_

 _I followed after him, "Okay, I'll learn to be a Thylacine from you, Logan; but after that, you're gonna learn a thing or two about humans."_

 _"I guess that's equivalent." He called over his shoulder, "Now hurry up, human!"_

 _"Coming!" I called and ran after him._

 _I felt my body changing shape into that of a Thylacine like Logan and so, I started learning what I needed to know about being a Thylacine._

 _As Logan and I ran, the darkness soon gave way to a mixed terrain that had dry eucalypti forests, wetlands and grasslands with hills in the North and the ocean towards the South. The sky above me was dark but starry and a bright and full blue moon shone over-head. Up by the forest area, a family of Thylacine were waiting for him; there appeared to be two parents, a few tiny cubs and three or two teenagers about the same size (and probably age) as Logan._

 _Two of the puppies ran to him, excitedly yapping and somehow, I could get what they were saying, even though it was very fast._

 _"Logan, Logan, have you finally got a mate, do ya, do ya?!"_

 _"Logan, Logan, is she gonna be our big sister, is she, is she?!"_

 _"Logan, Logan, where'd you find her, she smells weird, weird?!"_

 _"Logan, Logan, is she good for pups yet, is she, is she?!"_

 _"Mai," The puppy on his right stopped bouncing, "Max," the one on his left stopped bouncing as well, "She is not my mate, she is just here to learn what it means to be a Thylacine. Her parents were killed when she was young and raised by humans; so she doesn't know how to survive. I offered to teach her our true nature because none of our kind should have our pride trampled on like that. She is not my mate and she never will be."_

 _One of the 'teenage' Thylacines stepped forwards, "Isn't that a shame. Don't worry, honey, we'll teach you what it means to be a true Thylacine. I'm Lucy by the way, it's nice to meet you."_

 _I nodded to her, hopping that wasn't a wrong thing to do, "I'm Celina, thank you. May I be introduced to everyone else here?"_

 _Logan and Lucy nodded._

 _The taller and bulkier looking of the adults stepped forwards, "I am the Alpha Male and head of this family, Mason."_

 _The leaner and swifter looking of the adults stepped forwards, "I am Alpha Female and deputy-head of this family, Matilda."_

 _The two energetic puppies bounced towards me and landed in front of me, grinning._

 _"I'm Mia, 8th in line for head!" The female yelled, the male following, "I'm Max, 7th in line for head!"_

 _A stoic looking teenage Thylacine, one very close to adult hood, snarled at me slightly, "My name is Lachlan. I am 1st in line for Head of the family and you would do well to remember that, girl."_

 _I snarled back at him, "I don't particularly care about your ranking, but I would prefer it if you didn't refer to me for my gender. I am Celina, I'm not anyone else and in my opinion, my gender means nothing."_

 _Lachlan went into an attack, position, but with a stern hiss from Mason, he just stood up properly and went back to snarling at me. Logan got in front of me in a protective position and that was what made him finally stop._

 _Another teenager, probably only just finished with pup-hood, smiled as she walked forwards, "I am the 4th eldest and therefore, 4th in line for head of the family and my name is Charlotte."_

 _The last to introduce themselves were another pair of puppies, but they looked only slightly older then Mia and Max and appeared to be another pair of twins; twin boys to be exact._

 _"I'm Olivier. I'm 5th in line for head of the family. I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Celina." One of the puppies bowed his head very deeply._

 _"I am Charlie. I am 6th in live for head of the family. It's an honor to meet you, future mate of our brother." The second puppy stated, also bowing his head._

 _"It's very nice to meet you as well." I bowed deeply to them while Logan yelled in the background, "She's not gonna be my mate ever!"_

 _I lifted my head and glanced at Logan, who was still beside me, "I take it you're either the 3rd or 2nd in line for head of the family?"_

 _Logan nodded, "Lucy is 2nd in line and I'm the 3rd son. It doesn't actually hold much significance though since Lachlan, Lucy, I and Charlotte are going to eventually have to go out and find our own mates and any one of us could die any second. We meet here every other Luna Month to ensure we're all still alive and to ensure we all eventually have a mate. As far as I know, we are the only Thylacine family that does this."_

 _So it's one of those, 'meet the family things' that couples go through when they get serious about each other sometimes and it can also just be a reunion. I nodded to him to show I understood and then turned to the family._

 _"Okay," if I still had my human hands, I would have clapped so instead I nodded, "what do I do to learn what it means to be a Thylacine?"_


	11. A New Yet Old World

_After my lessons for the night were done, Logan took on a human form and I taught him about hand-to-hand combat, what humans did at their social gatherings, how to do chores and how to read. He was a quick learner like me and soon, we had nothing to do but go over our lessons again and again._ _Just to make sure we got everything._

 _It was so much fun; it was almost a shame I had to wake up._

* * *

But when I did wake up, it wasn't like I thought it would be. My body wasn't in as much pain as it was before and I don't know if I'm right or not, but I think it looked more human.

 _Maybe the Alchemical process of turning me into a Chimera was still happening, that was why I was in so much pain earlier because my body was still adapting and changing it's form._

" _Maybe you're right, Celina. Either way, I'm a nocturnal hunter, so please don't make us go outside yet._ " Logan complained in my head.

" _Shut up, Logan, you'll be fine._ " I told him, " _Gate, you're such a whiner._ "

" _Oh, screw you, Celina!_ "

I laughed and got up off the ground anyway. I felt sore and my body still hurt, but it wasn't even half as bad as it was last night.

 _I wonder… maybe, if I concentrate hard enough…_

I sat back down on the ground, crossed my legs as best as I could and pictured myself as a human. My hair red, my eyes green, my skin peach. I pictured my 6-year-old body in my mind and I felt the hair on my skin receding back into my body and my snout becoming flatter.

And when I opened my eyes again, the pain was gone, I was just sore and I had a human-looking body and face. There was just one problem; I was naked. But there was a solution to that problem.

"Thank Gate I ended up in a cloths shop." I muttered as I looked through my limited options.

There were T-shirts and jeans, but no socks or shoes. I'll be lucky if I can find a size that fits.

" _You could just be naked you know, it's not like anyone's in this abandoned shop._ " Logan offered.

" _Yeah, but I wanna get back to Nina to make sure she's okay. I need to find Ed and Al, too._ " I added, picking up a black shirt with a tiger on it.

" _Worrying for your kin, huh? At least you do that._ " Logan stated.

" _Hey, you say that as if all we humans are heartless._ " I grumbled, grabbing a pair of denim jeans.

Satisfied, I went into the changing rooms and put the clothes on. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized a few things were different about me. My hair wasn't red anymore, it was orange with 6 black high-lights on each side of my head and my eyes weren't green anymore, they were a very dark (almost black) brown colour. And, oh my Gate-

"Logan, I have your ears sticking out the top of my head and your tail above my butt." I said, grabbing them and pulling them to make sure they were real.

Oh yeah, they were real alright. I looked around the empty changing room, hoping there was something here I could use to hide my ears (since I could stuff my tail down my jeans) but there was nothing.

 _Oh man, I can't go into Central like this!_

" _Why are you so worried about your ears? They're completely natural, you've got nothing to panic about._ " Logan said.

" _Not to the other humans outside; they'll think I'm some kind of experiment or feral beast._ " I said, looking around and finally finding something that could work to hide my ears.

" _You were an experiment, Celly, why are you so worried about it?_ " Logan asked.

I put the cow-boy hat with a chin-string on my head and saw it covered my ears, " _I don't want to catch too much attention and let's be honest here; someone walking around with what most people will think are 'dog ears' is gonna attract a lot of attention. It's bad enough that I'll be walking around without any shoes on._ "

" _I guess. You humans are so weird._ " He told me.

" _Whatever, Logan. Whatever._ " I thought back as I crawled back out the opening from the night before.

So, with no shoes on my feet and a hat on my head with my tail between my legs, I walked into the busy Central streets, looking for somewhere to find shoes at while avoiding getting my toes stepped on or too many stares directed my way. And not a single thing on that list was easy, just to let you know!

"Hey, did you hear about that Tucker guy?"

I flinched and listened in, worry curling up in my stomach.

"Oh, you mean the Sowing Life Alchemist? I heard that the day before yesterday he turned his own daughter into a Chimera and got court-marshaled for it. It was supposed to be kept a big military secret, but my sister was there and she said she saw the whole thing. It scared her so much, she really needed to talk to someone about it; poor dear choose me."

"Amy, don't be a bitch."

"But it's all true and she told me herself I could tell anyone I liked because no one would believe me."

 _I have to find out more._

" _That's a bad idea, Celina._ " Logan hissed.

" _Shut up, Logan._ " I growled back.

"Excuse me," I called, looking up at the woman who were towering above me.

"Oh, what is it honey," the brunette haired woman who knew about Tucker knelt down, "are you hungry, or lost?"

I shook my head, "My best friend Celina Tucker didn't come to school yesterday and I got really worried because Daddy told me I'm never going to see her again. I'm really sorry for eaves-dropping, but I heard you were talking about Celina's Daddy, Mr. Tucker the Sowing Life Alchemist." I made fake and childish tears appear in my eyes, "Is it true?"

The brunette looked between her red-haired and blonde friends, but neither of them offered her any support. The brunette sighed and met my eyes, "I'm afraid it's true, sweetie-pie."

"What happened to the Chimera?" I asked, "What happened to Celina-chan?"

The brunette looked down, "I don't know, kid. My sister told me it escaped and hasn't been seen since last night. Some of the military officers think it's dead, others believe it's run away out of Central or is still alive and hiding somewhere."

I felt guilt coaling in my gut and started sniffling for real this time.

Hastily, the brunette had her hand on my shoulder, "Hey, it's okay sweet-pie, I'm sure your friend is fine somewhere."

"Yeah," the blonde said, sarcastically, "she's just playing a big game of hide and seek and waiting for you or the damned military to find her."

"Amber." The red-head scolded and then smiled at me, "Excuse her, she's a no fun pessimist. I'm June, by the way. These are my friends, Amber and Amy."

I smiled at them and whipped at my eyes, "I'm Shoko. Shoko Motomiya."

"It's very nice to meet you, Shoko." Amy smiled, then looked down and frowned slightly, "Where are your shoes, though?"

"Oh I umm…" I forced a blush, "it's a really long and embarrassing story."

"We got time." Amber huffed.

"And we'll use that time to get you a new pair of shoes and socks." June declared.

Amber made a sound of shock, but before she could protest, Amy cut in, "I agree completely."

"You guys don't have to do that for me!" I yelled instantly, waving my arms around, "I'll just go home and get another pair."

"Nonsense, kid." June smiled, "There aren't any houses in this area and there's no way I'm letting such an adorable kid walk around without any shoes on. What if you get a booboo on your foot?"

I internally scowled, but externally blushed, "Ar-are you sure about that? You guys really don't have to do it."

"We absolutely do!" Amy added, "We wouldn't ever be able to look at ourselves in the mirror again if we didn't take good care of you now and that would make it very hard to put make up on."

I made tears appear in my eyes again, "Oh thank you so much, you're too kind!"

Amber scoffed, "Whatever. You're bound to be better company then Mustang anyway."

I felt my interest perk at that, "Mustang? Who's he, Amber-onii-chan?"

Amy and June squealed at that while Amber just blushed, "No one, just some bastard player! Now come on, already!" she grabbed my hand and started tugging me along, "Let's get you your stupid shoes."

I giggled and latched onto her hand, "Okay, Amber-onii-chan!"

Amy and June squealed again, "SO CUTE!"

" _So annoying._ " Logan grumbled in my head, " _Are you actually going to mooch off these people like some stupid scavenger?_ "

" _It beats being starving and shoe-less._ " I grumbled back to him, my mask and cuteness not being effected by my negative mood.


	12. Meeting Miss Winry Rockbell

After getting a pair of strong and sturdy black Rugby trainers without the studs on the shoe's soul and saying goodbye to the girls, I started heading for Central Command. If I was going to meet up with Ed and Al again, then I was most likely going to find them at the command center, right?

When I got there, it appeared I wasn't the only one wanting to see Ed and Al.

"Excuse me, I'd like to see Edward and Alphonse Elric." A blonde girl about the same age as Ed said.

She was very pretty with long, lemon blonde hair, peach skin and sky-blue eyes. She was wearing her hair loose and mostly behind her back but there was a long lock of hair on either side of her face and her bangs fell casually from right to left across her forehead in the position of a hawk-wing. She was wearing a pale peachy dress with a brown suit-case in her arms, a white sun-hat and a red jacket.

I sprinted over to her, "Me, too please!"

The receptionist at the desk and the girl looked at me oddly, but the receptionist nodded and went back to her phone. The girl continued to stare at me even after the receptionist told us to go wait in the front and that was when I decided a few introductions were needed.

"I'm Shoko." I told her, smiling, "Who are you?"

"I'm Winry Rockbell, a childhood friend of Ed and Al's." The girl said and narrowed her eyes, "And how do you know the brothers?"

"So you're the infamous Winry Rockbell!" I exclaimed; I could see why Al liked her, she really was pretty, "I'm the older sister of a friend of theirs."

"I see." Winry's eyes narrowed even more, "Can you tell me which friend it is?"

"I'm Nina's big sister!" I giggled.

Her eyes widened, "But Al said in his letters that your name was Celina!"

I grinned, "Celina's my middle name and what I asked Ed and Al to call me while we were living at the Tucker household. Shoko's my real name, but I don't really like it so I don't often introduce myself with it."

"Why did you introduce yourself as Shoko then?" Winry asked.

I chuckled, "Always do with strangers, even when I know they're my friends' friends. But I can tell you're someone I can trust, I can sense it from your aurora."

"My what?" Winry asked.

"Your aurora." I explained, "It's like waves of energy that come off a person and tells people who can read them if the person is good or bad. The waves from you are very positive but have a bit of negativity underneath them; that means you've been through some hard times, but you're still soft of heart and curious of spirit. You're still willing to give the world a chance, even though it's been mean to you and that's a very good mind-set to have, Miss. Winry."

Winry seemed surprised but smiled and turned her head to the sky, as I did as well. We sat in silence as we waited for Ed and Al to arrive; Winry did at least, I was talking to Logan.

" _Your aurora? Seriously?_ " Logan asked, as if questioning my sanity.

" _Yes, seriously. What's wrong with it?_ " I spat back.

" _It's so mainstream and so lame._ "

" _You don't know a thing about human culture other than the basics of what not to do when at a table full of food, Logan, you can't really be the one to talk here._ "

" _Shut up, Celina, I'm your elder so listen to me._ "

" _Only in Thylacine years. And didn't you say that the order of birth doesn't actually have any significance with your kind?_ "

" _Only in our family._ "

" _Hypocrite._ "

" _Lame brain._ "

" _Freak._ "

Winry sighed, snapping me from my thoughts, "How long are they going to keep us waiting?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, Miss. Winry."

She lifted her head and looked over in surprise at something. I also turned my head and saw a pale blue van a little ways away with "Barry's Food Shop" labelled on it. Winry grew excited and ran over to the van leaving her suit-case and jacket behind.

The blonde gasped and smiled while she got a closer look, "It's one of the newly created refrigerated vans!" she placed her fingertips on the car for a moment then started running them over it, astonished, "Central sure does have the latest cars. Amazing! I sure would love to dismantle it."

I felt myself sweat-dropping, "Edward was right, you are a mechanics junkie."

"I'm afraid having it dismantled would put me out of a job for the day."

We turned our heads to see a woman standing by us with long, curly, light brown hair, green eyes that had a coldness to them that only I could see it appeared and peach skin. She was wearing a green dress and had a potato sack in her hand. I distrusted her instantly.

"I'm sorry!" Winry took her hands off the truck, "Is this your truck?"

"That's right," the woman said, opening the door, "this is my food shop's delivery truck."

She threw the sack in and Winry watched in envy and amazement as it entered the machine that had cold air spilling out of it. Actually, watched is the wrong word, stared is more like it. And she had her eyes on me, too. Now I don't like her.

"Is something the matter?" Winry asked when she noticed the woman's eyes on her.

"If you like, would you care to look inside?" The woman offered.

Before I could decline, Winry was practically jumping, "Huh?! I can?! Thanks so much! Come on, Celina-chan!"

Before I could protest, Winry had grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside the truck, making me go 'whoa' as I tried to balance myself again. I tried getting to my feet, but the truck suddenly jerked and I was on my back again.

"Winry, are you okay?" I called in the frozen moving fridge.

She sat up and rubbed her sides, "Yeah, I'm fine, but what's going on?"

I knew something wasn't right, I dang well knew it. The truck wouldn't stop no matter how much noise I made or how much Winry tried to tinker with it; nothing worked. The truck finally stopped and when we got out, I realized instantly that we were at a meat-shop. But before I could say anything, I felt something heavy and blunt slam into the back of my shoulders and I ended up losing consciousness.


	13. Barry's True Face

I woke up to the sight of a terrified Winry, the sound of a buzzing machine and the smell of meat all around me, making my mouth water slightly as I realized I had a gag in my mouth. Curse my Thylacine instincts.

The buzzing stopped and that was when my ears picked up on the sounds of someone struggling in a chair and the voice of that woman, "Good morning, Junior."

"Why you!"

That was Edward! I heard her grunting in pain and then gasping in horror.

"I heard that you can transmute without using transmutation circles," The so called woman's voice sounded horrible, even to my ears as the sound of metal joints clanking together filled the area, "so just to be safe…"

Edward didn't say anything to that, but her breathing indicated she was shocked into silence.

The voice laughed again and the sound of material sliding off skin echoed into my sensitive ears, "Let me introduce myself. I'm the shop's owner, Barry."

This time, Edward wasn't shocked into silence, "A man…?"

"As a reward for making it this far, let me show you something you'll like." Barry offered.

Suddenly, I felt the chains that were holding me off the ground and Winry hostage started moving and we couldn't make them stop; Winry because they were too strong for her and me because my feet couldn't touch the ground. I saw one of the pigs in front of us slam into a wall beside Edward, who was indeed missing her metal arm and watched as Barry grabbed Winry as she was tugged past him. She halted to a stop and I ended up kneeing her in the back.

When she had stopped being tugged, Winry's terrified and crying eyes were making contact with Edward's and as I hid behind Winry, not ready for Edward to see me, I heard her cry of shock.

"WINRY!" She gasped, her voice quieter now as if about to utter a forbidden spell, "Ce-Celina?"

I risked a peek, but the recognition was in her eyes, plain as day and I knew she recognized me, even if my eyes and hair had changed.

 _Would she still be happy to know it was me when she sees my ears or tail?_

"I'm about to craftily dissect these little girls." Barry got an inch or two too close to Winry and I, but there was nothing we could do to get him away from us, "Be sure to watch closely, now, State Alchemist-san…"

"Stop!" Edward demanded, still tied to that chair, "Why are you doing this?!"

"Why?" Barry reeled back then settled into a disgusting grin as he rubbed his skin and Winry frantically battled and tugged at her restraints, "Well now, because I enjoy it, I suppose."

With a single look from Barry, Winry stopped struggling but I wasn't done yet. I really don't know how I've managed to stay calm throughout this entire thing, but I am dang grateful that I could. I started swinging, trying to get my legs around the thing the chains were being held up on while Barry went on.

"The first person I killed was my wife. We were having some petty argument, you see. Then, without meaning to, I killed her." Winry had started panicking again and Edward was staring on, horror struck as Barry reached for his butcher knives, "But then, she just cut up so neatly, you know? After that, I started wanting to cut people up even more neatly. I wanted everyone to see."

"How can one person kill another for something like that?!" Edward demanded, shifting her position and I heard her fingers making contact with something metal.

Barry turned around, a look of madness on his face, "Oh, but they can!" and started advancing towards Edward, making me start to panic a little, "Given just the slightest chance, a person can kill another."

"Stay back!" Edward yelled, her head held low and Barry stood within a hand's reach away from her.

I started struggling with my chains more frequently, trying to get them to open up so I could help Edward, even if my feet weren't on the ground.

"If they go off to war, it's even easier for one person to kill another. Why do you suppose that is?" Barry questioned, ignoring the noise I made with my chains.

"I-I don't know." Edward said, fear in her voice.

Suddenly, Barry's knife was on Edward's flesh shoulder! She gave a yowl of pain and I saw blood splatter on the ground by her chair. Winry had to look away, but I couldn't; my heart was beating too loudly in my ears for my brain to make me turn my head away.

" _Celina, focus!_ "

" _Logan!_ " I called back, mentally.

I have never been so happy to hear that annoying Thylacine.

" _Yeah, yeah, I'm annoying now focus!_ " Logan snapped, " _Get Winry to let her use her back so you can climb up and unshackle both your chains._ "

" _But I'm gagged and it's kinda hard to focus when someone who is trying to kill both you and your friends is doing so right in front of your face!_ " I hissed at him.

" _Then try! Or do you want to die today?!_ " Logan snapped.

I gulped and decided, "No way."

" _Good, now fucking do it, you dumbass!_ " The Thylacine was gone from my mind again.

And I could focus again. I tried to get my stiff tail to move by wiggling my butt, but it decided it was stuck in there; so I'm gonna have to do this the hard way.

I gently as possible kicked Winry in the back of her leg to get her attention. She turned around, tears in her eyes and all that cheerfulness from when I first saw her was completely out the window. I tried to arch my back to show her what I needed her to do and she complied. Barry's voice wouldn't leave my mind.

"It's because people want to kill each other."

I climbed onto Winry's back and from there, managed to get onto the railing thing that had our chains hanging from it.

"On the battlefield, I saw a State Alchemist just like you kill other people with ease."

I wiggled caterpillar style along it until I got to my holding thing and now that I wasn't dangling in the air, I could finally figure out how to take the chains off.

"Splat! Just like that."

First, I wriggled the hook off my chains, then slipped my hands out of them and went to start doing the same for Winry.

"No…" This time it was Edward's voice that made me actually look up, "NO!"

I finally took proper notice of the sound of metal scraping against metal and suddenly there was a bright light behind Edward's chains and they let go of her body and morphed into a spear instead.

Barry raised his knife, "Why you!"

"NO!" I screamed.

Edward dodged the swing just in time by diving for the flour, her face a painted picture of fear. She noticed the poll she created and kicked it into her hand; but it wouldn't stop Barry's next swing.

"EDWRAD!" I screeched.

Just in the nick of time, she raised her Automail leg to block the attack, but Barry quickly kicked it away, leaving Edward to start running and I just couldn't take it anymore.

"Leave him ALONE!" I screamed and after making sure Winry was off the hook, lunged for him from where I was.

I tackled Barry so he was lying on his front, his knife clanking and skating far out of his reach.

"Celly!" Edward called.

"Go, get Winry out of here, now!" I screamed, turning my head towards him.

That was a mistake on my part; Barry grabbed my hat and pulled it right off my head, but the chin strap was still there and was now choking me.

Okay, now I am starting to panic.

I clawed at the air for a while, trying to get away, trying to get him to let go, anything to make sure I'd live! I felt him starting to slide a single arm around my waist and I started kicking and squirming even more, reaching for the chin-strap-thing, pulling it over my head and running for the only weapon in sight; Barry's own knife.

"No, Celina, calm down, stop!"

I could hear Logan talking to me, but I couldn't understand him, I was too scared, too panicked, too preoccupied to listen to him. I picked up Barry's knife and continued running through the pigs that hung all around me, panic rising as the adrenaline in me did and I ended up backed against a corner. Barry continued advancing, leering over me, snarling in a angry sort of madness rather than a maddened smile.

"Give me my knife back, little girl." He snarled.

I shook, but tried to fight the fear, tried to calm down, but nothing worked, "N-no! I won't let you hurt Winry or Edward; you have to kill me first!"

Barry continued to advance, snarling, "Give it to me, little girl, or I'll fuck you like a prostitute."

My eyes widened as memories flooded my head.

* * *

" _Richard, get off me, I don't want to have sex today!"_

" _Shut up, Morgan and let me fuck you like a prostitute!"_

" _I'm not a prostitute when I'm at home, you sicko!"_

" _Shut up, you ugly and disgusting woman! You and Celina are the fucking same, all you'll ever be to anyone is another lonely prostitute at some sleazy bar down town! That's the only thing either of you will ever be good for!"_

" _Maybe you're right about Celina, but you're wrong about me! I'm Morgan when I'm home, not 'Wild Cat', 'Princess' or whatever the hell my clients decide to call me! I'm Morgan here!"_

" _No you're not; you're just some damn, useless, piece of shit, crap cook, woman. All I married you for was the free fucking."_

" _I can say the same about you, Richard, considering I'm the only person making any money in this house!"_

" _You can put Celina to work any time you want, I don't fucking care!"_

" _Maybe I will!"_

* * *

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, the tears leaving me before I could stop them, "I'M NO ONE'S SLAVE, I'M NO ONE'S FUCKING PROSTITUTE! I'M HUMAN!"

I raised the knife and accidentally cut Barry's hand when it was in rang. As soon as I saw the blood, I was sprinting back to where I hoped Winry and Edward were, the knife being left forgotten where I dropped it.

When I got back to them, Edward was still fumbling with the chains that were still on the hook, "Damn it!"

"Guys!" I yelled, not worrying about how much I was crying, just glad I was back with Winry and Ed.

We heard Barry laughing manically and saw him try a swipe at Edward, but we all got out of the way just in time, Winry finally and this time properly off the hook. Edward banged the table and her Automail arm that had been resting there fell off it.

She dropped her spear in favor for grabbing the arm and running off into the meat maize, Barry hot on her heals. I turned to Winry and saw her fumbling with her chains and I decided to see if I could help her.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"EDWARD!" We both screamed, forgetting about the chains and Winry's gag finally off.

We ran in that direction just in time to see Edward transmute her Automail into a sword over her arm and Barry raise his knife above his head. The two crossed blades and while I stood there, screaming for Edward, Winry went into action this time; she slammed her body as hard as she could into some of the pigs and ended up knocking Barry off his feet with one of his own animals.

He landed on top of Edward and I screamed again, running towards them before Ed did something she'd regret.

She knocked Barry's knife out of his hand and went to spear him-


	14. We're Only Human

"Don't!" A hand grabbed Edward's metal arm.

Edward screamed again and turned around, trying to strike at her person behind her…

Only to have her Automail connect with an armored torso that could only belong to one person in this whole country. Another hand, clad in leather, covered the offended area, "It will take more than that to kill me."

For a moment, everything was silent. Edward stared, still horror struck at what she could have done to him if her brother was in a flesh and blood body. Alphonse waited for someone to say or do something. Winry and I stood there, watching the aftermath play out before us.

Then some soldiers arrived; one pointed a gun at Barry, who was still on the floor while another undid Winry's chains for her.

"Al…" Edward whispered, a tear falling.

Alphonse's voice sounded so concerned, "Brother, does it hurt?"

"I thought I was going to get killed. I really thought that I was going to die…" She turned her head to the floor and I felt tears gathering in my eyes when I noticed all the blood on her flesh arm, "I was scared… Terribly… Terribly scared."

Alphonse placed a hand on Edward's shoulder while she whimpered and I stood there, feeling weak in my knees but not sure if I should go hug them or keep my distance.

I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder and then my hat on my head. I turned my head to the soldier. It was a woman with soft looking brown hair in gentle curls around her face and shoulders, kind and understanding right blue and left green eyes, peachy skin and a kind smile on her face.

"Hey there, kid, no need to keep that scowl on your face," She knelled in front of me and offered me her hand, "Warrant Officer Nannally Cromwell's the name. And giving people a shoulder to lean on is my game."

Suddenly, my legs decided they couldn't take anymore and I feel to my knees, my hat falling off my head as I curled up into a ball and whimpered into my arms, trying to get myself to calm down before the flood gates opened. I felt Cromwell rub my back, but I didn't look up at her.

* * *

 _If you were hearing this from another soldier at the time, it would have sounded something along the lines of "Major Hughes realized that food trucks from Barry's Meat Shop went passed the inspections all the time and managed to get there in time to save 3 hostages, one of them being the youngest State Alchemist in history, Edward Elric."_

 _If you read the paper, it would have said something like, "Breaking news! Barry the Chopper, a woman targeting serial killer, has been arrested by the State Alchemist Edward Elric."_

 _But for the 3 girls who had been in there and seen that hell, it would be remembered in a terrifyingly different way._

When we got out, I realized the sun was setting as each of us (Win, me, Ed) were given blankets to keep us warm. Cromwell didn't leave my side the entire time; probably because she couldn't with me holding onto her uniform so tightly.

On a set of stairs, Edward and Alphonse sat there, Edward's eyes painfully numb and Alphonse' poster positively caring.

"Brother…" He turned to the direction of the sunset, "The Philosopher's Stone might really exist. But, in order to search for it, you have to be certified as a State Alchemist." He placed a hand over where his heart would have been, "Since I don't have a body, I couldn't really feel the terror you felt thinking you were going to be killed, Brother. I'm sure it must have been lonely… and painful…" His hand became a fist, "Sure, I want my old body back… to be human again. Once we find the Philosopher's Stone, even if it means having to go against the flow of the rest of the world, as though nothing will ever come of it…"

"Having nearly been killed, I realized something…" Edward began.

My ears twitched under the hat, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear this or not.

"All I could do was scream. My mind went completely blank." The grip she had on her blanket went slack as she stared at both her flesh and Automail hands, "I couldn't even bring myself to think there would be anyone to save me. For all that we are able to do, we'll have our hands full just trying to get our own bodies back. To that end, whether it means being a dog of the military or cursed as the devil I don't care…" I wasn't the only one listening, so was Winry, Mustang and a blonde woman who had given Winry a blanket, "But then again, we really aren't devils… and much less Gods…" She started to shake as her voice broke and finally, the flood gates opened as she buried her face in her hands, "WE'RE ONLY HUMAN! Tiny, insignificant humans, who couldn't even save Celina from her fate..."

Winry started crying and with all this heavy sadness around me and the stress of the horrible day, I was still trying not to cry. Cromwell knelt down in front of me, smiled softly and opened her arms, as if offering me a hug.

"It's okay to cry, Celina." She smiled at me, softly, "After all, we're all only human."

With that, the last of my resolve crumpled away and I lunged into her chest, crying and screaming my heart out. I couldn't stop the tears or the cries or the pain; I think I may have gone into hyperventilation if Cromwell hadn't been there, rubbing my back to calm me down.

* * *

Cromwell escorted me and the others to a place to stay since we weren't even going back to the Tucker Mansion. Winry and I wound up in a dorm with Ed and Al that we shared for the night.

In the morning, Edward reported in with Mustang, I learned the woman who had given Winry that blanket was Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye and thanked Cromwell for her assistance yesterday. She told me she was under Major Hughes' command, so I could stop by with her anytime I ever needed a friend and I agreed to that.

After Edward came back, while Winry fixed up her arm, she told us her new State nickname: "Fullmetal". Alphonse said it suited her and I completely agreed, but Winry had no comment to make on it since she was concentrating so hard. Winry insisted we all go out shopping after fixing up Ed's arm and though I personally dreaded the thought, I was willing to give it a try.

If it would make her happy at least.


	15. A Little Down Time

Winry had, once again, stopped at a mechanic shop to get even more tools then she was already making Al carry. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop myself from giggling at seeing how excited she was at seeing all the machinery; it reminded me of when Tucker took Nina and me out to buy her very own pet dog and we found Alexander.

"Say, are you still buying things, Winry?" Alphonse asked from the shop door where he stood next to me and Ed in his armour, "Don't you think this is a bit much in the way of souvenirs for your Grandma?"

 _Grandma? What about Mom and Dad?_

I wanted to ask, but decided against it; I'll wait for Winry to be able to tell me what the situation is.

" _Finally, you're making a good decision._ " Logan huffed in my head.

I scoffed back at him, " _Shut up, man, I'm trying to be happy right now._ "

" _Well, you're doing a crap job at it._ "

I decided to ignore him for now.

Winry made a surprised/disappointed sound and stared at the pair with her arms spread wide, "But you said you'd buy me anything, didn't you?" She then made this sorta cute pose with her fists under her chin, "Isn't that right, Ed?"

"Yeah…" Ed agreed, in a faraway voice.

I turned my head upwards to my older friend, a bit upset that she wasn't looking like she was enjoying things that much. I don't blame her, she's probably had enough Automail to last her a life time, but just seeing Winry smile as made my day better. I know that Ed isn't me and that maybe Winry's smile isn't enough, but I just want her to feel better.

Winry's face showed her concern for Edward as well. She smiled, probably hopping it would work and started going on about another tool she wanted to add to her shopping basket. The Mechanic asked the Alchemist if she could have them, but she gave the same, uncaring answer as before.

So, I decided to see if I could get her to bite.

"Hey, Edward," I said, gaining her attention, "you're short."

Winry and Alphonse gasped at me while Edward went into a rant about how she wasn't short, but I just laughed and grinned, "At least I got you to change your mood, you monotone brat!"

Ed and Al seemed a bit taken back, but the golden haired blonde sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, "I guess you did."

I saw from the corner of my eye, Winry running over with something in her hand.

"Here!" She exclaimed and offered her a little squeeze pot thing full of oil, "This is for you. Without me around, you have to make sure to take care of your Automail!"

I grinned and swung my arm around Ed's waist since I wasn't very tall, "No worries, Win-chan, I'll make sure he doesn't fall **short** on oil."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE'LL NEED TO BE BABYSAT BY A KID YOUNGER THEN HIM?!" Edward screamed.

I just laughed and winked at her with my tongue peeking out of my mouth, "I never said that, Elric-san."

Edward sighed and took the oil from Winry, glaring at me, "No more short jokes for the day, okay? Next time I will hit you."

I nodded and saluted, "Sir, yes Major Elric, sir!"

Edward stared at me questioningly, but before I could explain the nickname, a car pulled up behind us and Cromwell stepped out, claiming with a gentle wave, "Hey guys, how's it going. Sorry to rain on your parade, but Lieutenant Coronal Mustang wants to see Fullmetal ASAP, so I'm stuck with the dog-life duties."

We glanced between each other, nodded and hopped into the soldier's car. She drove us to Central Command Center and while we were in the car, we were introduced to Cromwell's best friend Sargent Major Ema Comet.

When we got to Central Command, Edward went inside to learn of her mission while Alphonse, Winry and I sat outside on the steps.

* * *

A while later, Edward finally came out with a few papers and I grinned.

"So, where are we off to, Edward?" I smirked, hat still on my head

"Winry is going on a train to Resembool and I'm going to the Youswell Mining Town." Edward instructed.

Winry seemed a bit shocked by this, "Awww, why Ed?"

"Brother, what is going on?" Alphonse questioned.

"I'm being sent on my first mission, to inspect a coal mine in the East called Youswell." Edward explains.

"And…" I urged.

Edward scowled at me slightly and told us, "We're going to the station."

No one objected.

* * *

When we actually got to the train station and Winry was about to get on her train, she said, "You're coming back to the village some time, right?"

"No, we're not going back." Edward declared.

"Ed…" Winry gasped, looking between the Elrics and me.

"Winry, there's no longer any home for us to return to." Alphonse told her.

She lowered her head and sighed, before turning to me, "Are you going to come with me, Celina-chan?"

I shook my head, "I already lost a bit of my humanity, my home, my way of life; I'm not about to lose these idiots too."

Winry nodded in understanding, made a weak smile and hoped onto the train as the whistle blew. We waved goodbye and hopped on a train to Youswell.


	16. Hello Youswell

After finding our seats, we just sat there in silence for a while.

"It's almost like the whole train was reserved," Alphonse noted since it was empty, "Travelling by train is nice, huh? All you have to do is sit and-"

"Al…" Edward interrupted, "Celly… This is my job, now that I'm a dog of the military. You guys didn't have to come along too, ya know."

I pouted as Alphonse spoke what was on my mind, "You're still saying that? I'll always be together with you, Brother!"

"Yeah!" I added, "You guys are like brothers to Nina and me; I'm not about to walk out on you now. Besides, none of us have a home anymore so why can't we stick together?"

"I guess you're right." Edward chuckled. "You're way too smart for a 6-year-old."

I grinned, "So what? You could do Alchemy when you were what, 5? And for your information, I'm 7-years-old."

Edward grinned, "And your mouth is too big, too."

"It's tiny compared to yours, Edward-kun!" I giggled.

Just as the friendly banter was about to continue, Alphonse interrupted with, "Guys, it's coming into view!"

"So that's the last town to the East, the Youswell Coal Mine…" Edward stated as she looked out the window.

I stuck my head out our window after taking my hat off and saw on the horizon a small town along the tracks.

"YAHOO!" I cheered, loving the feeling of the wind in my face and ears, "THIS IS GREAT!"

" _But it's not good for your ears, get back in there, now!_ " Logan hissed.

" _No way, this is amazing!_ " I argued.

"Get your head back in here, moron, or do you want flies in your eyes!" Edward scolded and tugged me back inside.

I struggled and pouted for a bit, just for fun, but then gave up and sat in my seat quietly.

* * *

The train finally stopped and we climbed off, surprised that everything was so quiet. At least it looked like a coal mine, but things were way too quiet for it to be one.

"For a coal mine, I thought there'd be more activity." Edward stated, looking around.

I agree with her. The few workers we can see are all just sitting around or leaning on something, looking depressed and exhorted.

"Everyone looks all tired out." Alphonse added.

I nodded my head, "I can't believe this; they all look like they just got told their mothers died."

"It doesn't look like there's much to see here, either…" Edward noticed, "Al, Celly, let's do this inspection quickly and go home-"

She was cut off by being knocked in the back of the head by a wooden, thick pole that made her cough up a bit of spit. I gasped and fell to my knees, grabbing Edward's coat and making her sit up while the boy who had been holding the pole turned around.

"Whoa, sorry!" He said the same time that Edward growled, "Ee-yow…" and I fussed over her, "You okay, Ed?!"

"Oh, are you tourists?" The boy with brown hair and green eyes asked and got up in our faces, "Where are you from?! Have you eaten? Where are you staying?"

"Who are you?!" Edward growled.

The boy ignored her, standing up and yelling, "Pop! We've got visitors!"

We turned our heads to see a man who looked like he could be the boy's father standing on top of a railing as he yelled, "Huh? What did you say?"

"Visitors! Visitors!" The boy cheered, "Some big spenders are here!"

"Big spenders?!" Ed, Al and I questioned all at once.

"Nice to meet you three!" The man grinned and took off his hat, "I am the Inn's Manager, Halling!"


	17. Their Troublesome Situation

I didn't know how it happened, but the next thing I knew, it was night, we were at an Inn and everyone around me was drinking booze.

"Yeah, sorry the place is so dusty." Mr. Halling apologized with 2 bears in his hand, "The coal miner's wages are pretty low, but with this place, I've got two irons in the fire."

"Now then, overnight accommodation for three?" Mrs. Halling said from behind her counter.

"How much are your rates?" Alphonse questioned.

"They're expensive!" Mr. Halling called as he sat the drinks down.

"Not to worry, despite how we look, we've got plenty of money." Edward interrupted.

I sweat-dropped, "Edward, I don't think that was the right word to use with these guys."

Mr. Halling put on a troll face and held up 3 fingers, "300,000 cenz."

"WHAT?!" Edward and I screamed, "You can't be serious! That much for just a night's stay? Ridiculous!"

"Ours is the highest class Inn in all of Youswell, such that is." Mr. Halling sated.

His son cut in, grinning madly, "Besides, it's the same price wherever you go!"

"We haven't had any guests in a long time! We have to soak you good!" Mr. Halling added as his son giggled.

 _I think I just died and went to Hell._

" _If that's so, then I'm in Hell too, thanks for dragging me down for the ride, Celina._ " Logan hissed.

" _Shut up, Logan, please I really don't want your bad attitude here right now._ " I groaned.

" _Either way, looks like we'll be hunting tonight for our dinner._ " Logan added.

" _At least we'll have dinner._ " I said back.

Ed, Al and I had huddled up to look into Edward's wallet to find we didn't even have half that amount.

"It's not enough." Edward dead-panned.

"Winry had us buy all those presents for her Grandma after all." Alphonse rationalized.

"Doesn't change the fact we're practically broke." I mumbled.

Edward lifted her head slightly, pouting, "There's nothing else we can do. At this point…"

"Oh man, you're not planning to…?" I asked.

Edward nodded with a sulk and I sighed as well.

* * *

Next thing I know, Ed's transmuting and fixing things to pay off and at first, everyone was all happy and stuff. But the second Edward mentioned she was a State Alchemist, they kicked her out.

"That hurt! What was that for?!" Edward yelled back, insulted.

Halling and the miners stood in the way of the door, glaring at her, "We don't have any food or beds to give to any Dogs of the Military."

We gasped as Edward's eyes widened as Halling turned towards me and Al, the hate in his eyes clear as day, "Are soldiers, too?!"

"Umm, no…" Alphonse lowered his head slightly.

"They've got nothing to do with them!" Edward yelled, glaring with a fire in her eyes, "We just got together on the train here! The armor guy told me he was taking his little sister around the country for a birthday present or something like that, I wasn't really listening!"

Halling turned back to Edward, "Okay then, you can go get yourself eaten by dogs!" and slammed the door shut on her.

* * *

A little bit later, Al and I were seated at a table with Halling's son, who had finally introduced himself as Kyle. The once cheerful atmosphere of the Inn had changed drastically, it was rather scary.

"That was some incredible hatred, huh?" Alphonse spoke up.

"Well, sure it was!" Kyle scowled, some orange juice in his hand, "Everyone hates military people after all! That guy First Lieutenant Yoki, the soldier who supervises this place, is a fiend for money. He's the worst!"

"Yoki?" Alphonse questioned, having not heard the name before.

 _I haven't either._

" _Maybe because you haven't even been in Central Command once?_ " Logan offered.

" _Cromwell gave me her house number if I ever needed anything. Perhaps I should call her and ask about Yoki._ " I suggested.

" _Could be a good idea, could not be. It's your decision after all._ " He stated.

" _I think I'll follow up on that decision actually._ " I decided.

Halling walked over with coffee and a burger on a tray in his hands, "And now he's joined by that State Alchemist. 'Alchemist, be thou for the people'. That's both common sense to them and their pride. That's what I've come to learn."

"Mr. Halling…" Al trailed off.

Halling ignored him, "I can't stand those who sell their souls to the military in exchange for special privileges."

I looked down and then perked up, remembering something, "Oh! I need to call our parents! Mr. Halling, do you have a phone somewhere near by? I promised them I'd call once I'd get to Youswell."

"Yeah," Halling gestured to the stairs, "there's a phone on the second floor in the hallway, if you don't mind using it."

I nodded and ran up the stairs. I raced down the hallways to a small table that had a rotary phone sitting on it. I spun in the numbers Cromwell had given me and after about 3 rings, it picked up.

" _Hello, this is the Cromwell house, Nannally here, what can I do for you?_ " Cromwell answered.

"Hi, Mom! How are you?" I yelled into the phone.

" _Oh, hi Celina dear! What's up, angel cake? Are you enjoying your trip?_ "

"I love it Mom! I'm in the Youswell mining town that's being run by a First Lieutenant in the Military named Yoki! Do you think Dad knows anything about him? He is with the Military Police after all."

" _Humm, well your old man has mentioned him a few times, actually. He bribes his superiors with money in order to rise up through the ranks and is a sniveling, whinny brat according to your father. He wouldn't be where he was today without that money, he'd still be a Lance Corporal like he was when your Dad first met him._ "

"Wow, he sounds like a horrible person! The miners here at Youswell are really nice though, Mom! They gave me and my big brother a room to sleep in and a bed, but everyone is so sad because their wages are so low and their taxes are too high! Mom, do you know if you or Dad can do anything to change that?"

" _I'll ask your father when he comes home what he thinks he can do. Bye, honey, I gotta start making dinner. Stay safe with your big brothers!_ "

"I will, thanks Mom! Bye! Tell Dad I said hi!"

" _Will do, hun._ "

With that out of the way, I started heading down stairs-

"Stand aside!"

-but stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the stern voice of a woman. I pressed myself up against the wall and took my hat off my head, listening in.

"Your shop is as filthy as ever, Halling."

"Well, well, if it isn't Lieutenant Yoki. Welcome to my squalid establishment."

"Enough pleasantries. The taxes on your place are over-due. And it's not just you, I could say the same for the whole town."

"I apologies. My earnings are so little."

"That is because your work is so poor."

"WHAT?!"

"You're the ones who lowered our wages, you know! On top of that, you raised our taxes!"

"Lieutenant Yoki has been placed in charge of this coal mine by Central!"

"Shut up! You just take the money that we sweat bullets to earn and used it to bribe them to promote you, didn't you?!"

"Hmph! So why don't you try offering tribute to me? The world is not a place where you can make yourself comfortable for free."

"You bastard… I can't put up with anymore of this every day!"

This time, I decided to look to watch as one of the miners charged but a woman in civilian clothing got in the way and she had a transmutation necklace on her. It started spinning, there was a world-wind inside and a blast of heat was heading for him-

SMASH!

-but I had lunged in the way and got blasted back instead, steam rising off my body and my hat off my head, leaving my ears plain for the world to see; I didn't care.

"Kid!" The miner yelled.

"You okay?!" Kyle gasped as he ran over, then halted, "You, you have…"

I ignored them in favor of sitting up and snarling at woman who had used her alchemy to attack an innocent civilian.

The woman sighed as her necklace stopped spinning/glowing and she lowered her hands. A skinny, practically bald man who had been hiding behind her (that has to be Yoki) smirked.

"Nicely done, Lyra." He congratulated her, placed both of his grubby hands on her shoulders.

Lyra, the woman, smiled like an innocent, I-can-do-no-wrong, school girl who had just been given a star from her favorite teacher and it made my skin crawl.

Yoki scowled at the miners and me as he gave us his attention once again, "It seems the stories of this shop becoming a hangout for troublemakers have turned out to be true. In that case, I will have to think about suspending your business license."

"WHAT?!" Halling and I called as we rose to our feet.

"Don't even joke about that!" Kyle growled and tossed the rag he had in his hand at Yoki's face.

The two soldiers beside Yoki and Lyra gasped as the thing covered his face.

I smirked, "Wow, Yoki, that's a big improvement. Maybe you should keep it on until you get home, after all it's amazing at concealing all your… undesirable features."

The Inn erupted into laughter at my joke and I felt myself grinning from ear to ear.

"You bitch!"

One of the soldiers charged towards me, but Kyle shoved me out of the way and got punched instead.

"Kyle!" Mrs. Halling and I screamed.

Yoki scoffed into a hanky, "Make an example of him. Hurt him just a little. Then cut the girl's ridiculous ears off."

The other soldier approached Kyle, his sword raised and ready to swing down while the rest of us screamed for him-

CLASH!

-when Edward arrived on the scene just in time, her metal arm acting as a shield against the weapon that would have hurt Kyle much more than just a little if the sound of that clash was anything to go by. Half of the sword went flying and landed right between my legs, making me scream.

Yoki was shocked, "W-who are you?!"

Edward stood like a cool person; uncaring posture, hands in pockets, not looking at whoever they were talking to, "I heard the Lieutenant would be coming by," she pulled her Pocket Watch out and showed it off, "so I thought I'd say hello."

Yoki reeled back in shock, "I-is that?!"

The soldier with the sword went back to Yoki. The two mumbled somethings together that I didn't even bother listening to because I was running to Kyle to make sure he was okay.

"Kyle, are you okay?" I knelled next to him, checking for any bruises or cuts.

He stuttered as he spoke, "I-I'm fine, thanks."

He was right; I didn't smell any fresh blood and I didn't see any bruises. I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back, smiling at him, "That's good."

With that, I turned around and watched as Yoki tried to pick up the pieces of the mess he made, "Well, well, how terribly rude of my subordinate. I am Yoki, the one who runs this town. Er, what business might you have in coming to our rural town?"

Edward played along, "Oh, I'm just here to conduct an inspection."

Yoki smiled innocently, "An inspection? If only you had contacted me, I would have sent someone to meet you. You must be exhausted right? Come, come, please stay at my mansion."

With that, Edward left with Yoki and his men.

Halling snarled at them as they left, "Miserable dogs of the military."


	18. To Be Thou For the People

As soon as they were out the door, everyone's attention was on me once more. I had revealed my ears; I was bound to start having to face some discrimination.

"Why do you have cat ears?" Kyle asked me.

I felt annoyance rising in my gut, but I decided not to let it out, "First of all, they're not cat ears, they're Thylacine ears. Second of all, my father did this to me. He merged my body with that of a Thylacine using alchemy, which intern transformed me into a Chimera. He has been executed for this and the people who decided that were planning on studying me and doing even more experiments on my body."

Halling growled, "Damn the military. How dare they do that to you!"

I was shocked, "You… you guys don't care that I'm not entirely human?"

The miner who I had protected stood up, "As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter about what you're made of; you've got a lot of heart for someone so little and a lot of strength. That attack from Lyra would have kept me knocked out for a while, but you were standing practically two seconds after that."

I chuckled slightly, "I guess being a Chimera has it's perks, huh? Thank you." then I turned my eyes on Halling, "And actually Mr. Halling, it wasn't the military that did this to me; in fact, they were the ones that stopped and dispersed the organization that were planning on using me as a lab rat. The only reason I'm allowed to walk around free is because of the compassion the Flame Alchemist Roy Mustang showed me."

That wasn't even a lie. It didn't take long for Mustang to figure out I was a Chimera once he saw my ears, but instead of reporting me, he issued a gag on the event with Barry the Chopper so anyone who saw my ears would have been ordered to keep quiet. I never even properly thanked him, either.

"What's a Thylacine, anyway?" Mrs. Halling asked.

I went to sit down at a table and everyone gathered around slightly to hear my explanation, "A Thylacine is a marsupial that was classified as extinct by the government 30 years ago."

"How come there's one inside of you, though?" A miner asked.

"Because they weren't extinct." I explained, "My father told me he found a small colony of them and that's where he got the one that he fused with my body."

"What's a marsupial?" Another asked.

"A marsupial is an animal that carries it's young in a pouch; I've got one too, though it's probably bigger then you'd think it would be." I laughed, remembering the time I first discovered the new layer of skin that protected my stomach and may one day become the place where my children come from. If I ever have children that is.

The thought saddened me for a moment, but before I could let it get to me, another miner asked, "Do you have anything else besides ears and a pouch?"

I nodded, "I have a stiff tail, let me show you guys."

I haven't even shown Al my tail yet. I pulled it out and held it up for everyone to see. Everyone was astonished and when I decided that was enough, I let my tail fall and swing slightly.

Someone else asked, "Can you tell us anything more about Thylacines?"

"I'd love to, but only if you don't mind if I go on a bit." I called and when I got no objections, I went with it, "Thylacines are the largest carnivorous marsupials to have survived into modern times. Sometimes, people call them Tesmanic Tigers or Wolves since they were first discovered in the area where the town of Tesman exists today. They're about the same size as an Amestrian Sheppard dog, which is up to Kyle's knee. They're non-aggressive towards humans, shy by disposition and hunt for their pray in an interesting habitat that comprises of wetlands, forests and grasslands which is why they're so common all around Amestris. Or, at least they were. They make their homes in hallow logs or rocky caves and would hunt as groups, but could also do it alone when they were alone."

For the rest of the hour, at least, I answered all the questions that were thrown at me as best as I could since some of them were ones I either didn't know the answer to or something I couldn't answer (like "Is the Thylacine you were fused with still existing inside you as a separate being").

By 10:45, Al decided for me that was enough questions and we headed for the room we were renting, me being carried by the suit of armor since I was so tired… or I pretended to be at least. Answering all those questions in that unnatural light was draining, but my instincts refused to be tamed and demanded I go out into the moon light and revel in its brilliance as I search the grasslands for pray, rather than sleep in a pill of springs and cloth.

Alphonse opened the door and placed me on the springy and uncomfortable bed and then sat in the one opposite me, "I wonder if Sister is alright on her own…"

I groaned and turned over, "I'm sure she's fine, please just turn that dang light off, Al. It's hurting my eyes."

"Oh, okay." Alphonse turned the light out.

I felt the relief washing over me as that horrid light disappeared, "Thanks, Al. Dang thing was making my instincts go haywire."

"What do you mean?" Al asked, his armor clinking as he leaned a bit closer.

I shrugged, "I don't know, maybe it's due to the fact Thylacines are nocturnal hunters and the last of them were nearly all killed off by humans carrying lamps, or somethin-"

I sat up and went for the door.

"Celina, what is it?" Al questioned.

I sniffed again and snarled, "I can smell Lyra again. And she's here alone."

I ran out the room as the sound of wind gathering filled my ears. We got to the ground floor and the first thing I did was peak out the door to see Lyra performing her Alchemy in the empty dining hall.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Alphonse and I turned our heads to Kyle and realized just how much danger we were in.

BOOOOOM!

* * *

I groaned as I woke up, the sound of rubble shifting heightening my senses.

"KYLE! KYLE!"

"Daddy!"

I felt myself being shoved off a body bigger than my own (I think it was Kyle's) as something heavy and made of metal (must be Al) got up off us.

"Daddy…"

I finally found the strength to open my eyes and saw a teary-eyed Kyle looking in the direction where Halling was moving rubble from the Inn's remains.

I managed a smile, "Good, he's safe."

But then my vision started fading again and I was out, hearing a few voices calling for me as the world was reduced to a flurry, black mess.

* * *

When my vision returned to me again, there were 2 things I immediately noticed; it was dawn and my head was (fucking) killing me.

"Celina?" Kyle called.

I turned my head to where I heard his voice and let out a groggy, "I'm still here. What the heck happened in there?"

"Lyra attacked and destroyed the Inn," Alphonse stated and looked down, guiltily, "and I wasn't able to protect you in time from getting smashed on the head with a piece of wood that was really thick. It could have seriously damaged you, ya know!"

"Well, we already know I'm tougher than most humans, so screw me." I grumbled as I sat up, a hand covering my eye and rubbing my face to try to wake me up a bit more.

My ears started twitching and that was when I finally noticed it; Mrs. Halling was crying. I stood up and walked over to the ruins of the Inn and saw her, slightly in the distance, hugging the vase Edward had fixed for her, that was broken once again, to her chest and that was when it really hit me.

 _They were having their world destroyed by Yoki and his men._

" _Really? I didn't notice._ " Logan spat sarcastically.

" _Shut up, Logan. It's not just their homes or their money but their lives are at stake if things continue like this. These people are dying because of where they live, so why aren't they leaving?_ " I growled back, " _I can't stand to watch people die just because they were stubborn!_ "

Logan was silent for a long time, but then told me, " _Kid, sometimes a person's home… will also be their grave._ "

" _But it doesn't have to be like that!_ " I yelled back, " _I don't understand why they don't just move to somewhere else so they can get a better job and securer life! Kyle could have died today, if they stay the next attack will leave someone dead!_ "

Logan didn't carry the argument on and I didn't bother saying anything against him.

I heard footsteps behind me; one set was clunky and hollow and the other was uneven but strong. Ed and Al were standing right next to me.

"Is this their doing?" Edward questioned.

I growled, "I smelt and saw Lyra performing her Alchemy while this place was empty except for me, Al and Kyle who almost **died** in there."

I heard Kyle's foot-steps approaching and turned my eyes to watch him talk to Edward, "Say, you're a cracker-jacket Alchemist, right? So then, transmute some gold for us! Then you can help my pops… You could save the whole town for us!"

Edward regrettably lowered her head and gave them her answer, "I can't."

"Why not?!" Kyle exclaimed, "You don't lose anything!"

"The basis of Alchemy is Equivalent Exchange." Edward stated, plain and simple, "I have neither the duty nor the obligation to do anything for this town."

Kyle hissed, "Are you telling us to bribe you, too?!" and grabbed her red coat in out-rage and started shaking her, "And you call yourself an Alchemist?!"

When he stopped shaking her, Edward spoke up again, "'Alchemist, be thou for the people' huh?" she gently shoved his hands away from her with her flesh hand, "Transmuting gold is a serious offence. If I get caught, I will be stripped of my State Alchemist certification and sent to prison."

"So, do it so no one finds out!" Kyle carried on.

Edward's voice rose slightly in irritation, "Even if I do make gold, it will just be taken in taxes and that'll be the end of it. If you're really that hard up why don't you leave this town and go find work somewhere else?"

 _Finally, someone who's talking some sense around here._

"Kid," Halling called, "you may not understand this, but this place is our home and our coffin."

What's that even mean, anyway? You all plan and dying here together?

Edward offered a smile and bowed head, "This is your home and coffin, huh?"

* * *

As the sun rose in the distance, send bright lights over the landscape, Al and I followed after Edward.

"Sister!" Al called.

"Al, Celly, listen up!" Edward called, "Al and I burned down our home ourselves. We have nowhere to return to and that's alright by us! And you also left the Tucker mansion behind, not caring for the memories that house made, just focusing on the path ahead of you, right?"

"Right!" I yelled, "I don't know what that path is yet, though I do know this! I will do whatever I can to protect the people I care about from the demons of this country."

"That's the spirit," Edward grinned without looking back at us, "but for some people who do have somewhere to go home to, they have to look out for it!"

Is that what it means for your home to be your coffin?

Edward started running ahead and clambered into a truck full of useless mining remains.

"Al, Celly, what you guys see here will be our secret!" Edward called as she emptied a few golden coins on to the pile of rubbish.

She clapped and suddenly, there was a large alchemical spark as well as a golden light.

"Sister…" Alphonse trailed off, amazed.

I grinned as I figured out her plan, "Dang girl, that's one hell of an idea. I like it."

* * *

A while later had the three of us inside Yoki's disgustingly clean mansion and the big man himself in front of us, gaping at us, "You want to buy the coal mine?!"

"Yeah! I want you to include everything from the mine to the trade routes!" Edward explained, grinning merrily, "Is that okay?"

"Well…" Yoki trailed off, "even at the request of a State Alchemist, that's just something I couldn't do."

"Awwww…" I groaned, arching my back with my hat back on my head and my tail in my jeans, "then that would mean all those aches and pains I got in my spin will have been for nothing."

Edward agreed, "Yeah it really is a shame."

Alphonse opened the door behind us that we had dumped our treasure behind. And the revealed door showed mountains upon mountains of solid gold bars.

"And here I got all this money ready." Edward grumbled.

I gaped at her, "You did?! Me and Al where the ones you whipped like slaves to carry this stuff up here!"

Yoki's eyes widened in greedy delight and astonishment, "I-is that…" he walked into the room we filled with the bars, "all gold?"

"Upon investigation, it turns out that this mine had unexploited elements that we could use in alchemical research." Edward explained, "I don't want to turn it over to anyone else. Is this enough?"

Yoki's greedy eyes were back on us, "Don't be absurd! However, my selling the mine that I was entrusted by the state to govern for my own profit would look a little…"

Edward chuckled, "It's alright! This gold doesn't appear in any records, so long as you keep your mouth closed, you can get by without anyone else knowing."

"Still…" Yoki was showing a lot of restraint, I'll give him that much.

Edward frowned, then grinned, "I know! Please write up a memo handing over all authority over the coal mine for no charge. By doing that, this will be all yours, Lieutenant Yoki."

With one glance back at the bars, we knew we had this little kitten in the bag.

* * *

After all the paper work was done, we all ran over to the Halling household where all the miners were gathered. And we entered in nothing but smiles.

"Hi, everybody!" Edward called as if greeting some old friends, "I'm here to cheer up all those gloomy faces of yours!"

Kyle snarled when he saw my blonde friend, "What are you doing here?!"

"Now, now," Edward lightly scolded with a shit-eating grin, "is that anyway to talk to the manager of this place?"

One of the miners, the same one who almost got blasted, growled, "Manager?! Why you! What have you-"

Edward shoved the paperwork in his face, "As you can see, this is the title deed for the mining, trade, management and all other rights to this coal mine."

"What?!" Halling questioned.

Edward smirked as she turned around, "In other words, right now, this coal mine belongs to me."

Surprised gasps and murmurs broke out among the men and I felt like snickering.

"Nevertheless…" Edward sighed, "I and my companions have to get back to Central. It would be bothersome to have to carry the title deed of a rural coal mine with me all the time. What to do…"

"Don't tell me you're trying to sell that to us!" Halling exclaimed.

Edward smirked, "It'll be expensive! Whenever you wish to gain something, you have to pay for it with something of the appropriate value, you see." Halling hissed as Edward carried on, "After all, not only is this deed written on high-grade parchment, it also has a gold and silver leaf trim." The other miners continued to snarl at us, "What's more, the box features finely crushed jade and amber, in a nonchalant, yet luxurious design." I nearly started laughing as she went on about it in that voice, "Yeah, this is real craftsmanship, alright. Oh yeah, and the key is made of starling silver and platinum. Gee, I would roughly estimate it was worth 300,000 cenz."

"300,000?!" Halling exclaimed, "For the deed to the coal mines?!"

Soon, more murmurs broke out.

"300,000?! That's all?!" The miner from before asked.

I whistled off-handily, "Come to think of it, a night's stay at the Halling Inn for 3 with included meals only costs 300,000 cenz, doesn't it?"

Edward nodded, "How about we spend the night and everyone calls it even?"

Halling's astonishment, slowly morphed into a smile, "Equivalent Exchange, huh?"

Kyle pointed out the obvious, "But, our Inn has been…"

"Huh?" Edward asked, playing dumb, "Then, what's that over there?"

She guested with her head to the newly repaired Inn that the entire town had gathered around, gasping in wonder.

"Our shop!" Mrs. Halling exclaimed in happiness.

"How can this be?" Halling questioned, a smile on his face.

Edward and I walked up to the family, both of us grinning.

"This will be enough to cover my brother, me and Celina staying here, right?" Edward held up the sheets.

And Halling took them with a smile, "Yeah of course it will."

Edward grinned at him, like a kid high on sugar, "Okay, then it's Equivalent Exchange!"


	19. We Are Rough and Ready

"EDWARD-SAMA!"

Edward and I shared a shit-eating grin as we turned to the car that had just pulled up; Yoki and his men were already climbing out of it with the bars of crap in their arms.

"W-what's going on here?!" Yoki cried, "The gold bars I got from you have all turned to stone!"

"Gold bars?" I questioned, then turned to Edward, "Have you seen any gold bars around here, Edward-kun?"

"No, I'm afraid not, Celina-chan," Edward chuckled, "I have no idea what he's talking about."

"Maybe the Lieutenant is feeling unwell?" I suggested, taking off my hat and showing off my ears, "It sure is warm, though."

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Yoki screamed, "YOU HAVE DOG EARS!"

Edward and I looked at him as if he were mad, "Whatever do you mean, Lieutenant, I don't have any dog ears," I turned back to Edward, "do I, Edward-kun?"

"No, you don't." Edward smirked, "But they would look really cute on you, if you had any."

"AWWWW, you really think so?" I asked, squealing.

Edward nodded and then picked me up, "I think you'd be the cutest thing in the world with dog ears on your head; you'd be even cuter then you are now and I used to think that was impossible!"

I squealed and hugged her around her neck, "Edward-kun, thank you so much! I love you, Onii-chan!"

Edward laughed and smiled at me, caringly, "I love you too, kid."

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Yoki shrieked and pointed at us, "Lyra, attack them!"

Instantly, the female Alchemist's necklace was in action and me and Edward were getting as far away from the Inn and the miners as we could. Lyra blasted a shock-wave our way, but Ed and I managed to dodge it just fine.

"Alchemist, be thou for the People!" Edward quoted, "I don't care much for you using Alchemy for your own interests!"

"Yeah!" I yelled and glared at the woman, "I'm all for girls being powerful, but not like this!"

Lyra ignored me and instead glared at Ed, "You're a State Alchemist, aren't you?! Why would you go against what the military is doing?!" she powered up for another strike.

Edward braced herself and used her metal arm to take the front of the shock wave.

Heat rose from the revealed metal hand as Edward declared, "I never sold my soul to them."

"We are rough and ready to stop any injustice we see, you hear me?!" I yelled, smirking.

Lyra snarled and began creating another shockwave. Edward ran for the publicly female alchemist, clapping her hands and transmuting a sword on top of her hand. She charged for her and cut her necklace clean off her neck, the transmutation stopped before it could do any more damage to this town. Lyra hit the ground hard while her broken jewelry clinked.

She glared at Edward, but the blonde only gave her a stern look. Lyra crumbled under it and didn't get up.

"Why, you…" Yoki snarled, turning to his men, "Get back the title deed from-"

Only to find that I had one of his men at claw-point (yeah, this marsupial has claws, kiddos) while the rest of the miners were crowded around them, all with mischievous and revenge seeking grins or frowns plastered to their faces.

"Yoki-sama…" The one I was holding sweat.

"Careful, Ass-Kisser 1," I warned him, looking at my other set of claws while pressing the ones to his neck a bit closer, "or you may talk too much and accidentally get your vocal cords clawed out."

As Yoki stood there speechless, some of the miner stepped behind him, clicking their knuckles.

"You shouldn't take other people's property by force, huh?"

"Never underestimate the strength of a coal mining man, Lieutenant-dono."

After those words were said, I jumped out of the way and let the miners beat up Yoki and his henchmen; Lyra managed to scamper away though before I could grab the little nuisance but I decided to let her go for now since she'll get her's eventually.

* * *

Hours later, everyone was in the Halling Inn, celebrating the victory with beer and saké.

"Saké! Saké! Bring us some more saké!"

The miners hooted and cheered, giving each other saké, trying to get me or Edward to drink it even though we were minors. I heard the Hallings having a discussion nearer the bar.

"Say, honey, isn't the shop a little better than before?"

"Yeah. He really did a number here… Edward Elric: The Fullmetal Alchemist… his fury companion, Celina Tucker… and their best friend, Alphonse Elric…"

"Looks like we have a Champion of the People among the Military Dogs now."

* * *

 _That was how Edward got her third name: The Hero of the People. Every mission we went on, we ended up maybe causing a bit of collateral damage, but we always managed to help people out if the military was trying to pull one over them or anyone else for that matter._

 _And in each one of those missions, I felt my Thylacine instincts growing stronger and I could have sworn I was starting to hear and understand Animals when they talked to me. Oh well. I guess it can't be helped._

 _I myself got stronger physically, too. Edward and Alphonse taught me how to fight and I ended up developing my own style that incorporated my tail a bit more in it._

 _I visited Nina and Alexander often, who ended up being adopted by the Hughes and become like a big sister to Elicia. And Grace adored Alexander like her own son. They were the perfect family and give me and the Elrics all the support we needed._

 _But nothing in the world could have prepared me for what was going to happen… when I turned 8-years old._


	20. First Period Problems

**AN: Okay, when I found out that marsupials have two vaginas, this idea wouldn't leave me the hell alone until I started writing and researching it; but I didn't understand a single one of the big sciency words the websites and books I looked up used. Seriously, I had to ask my mother to help me understand how a long-winded paragraph basically said "Marsupials have two vaginas, two separate womb and their eggs never meet". So, really sorry if anything in here is ENTIRELY inaccurate because I couldn't even find out what a Marsupial period was like or if they even had them in the first place. I seriously couldn't find or understand a damn thing the internet told me. So please, don't think that everything I've put here is right because, more likely than not, it is entirely wrong.**

 **BTW, it's based one year after the Youswell incident, meaning Celina is 8-years-old… Yeah, girls who are 8-years-old can start having their periods then and Celina's already so mature in mind, so why not let her be slightly more mature in body? And besides; Animal years are different to Human years. I once heard a Dog being their 4** **th** **year of life was like being 20-30 years old in Human years since that's the Prime of their/our lives. So, it only makes sense that Celina would start going through puppetry a bit earlier than most people considered normal.**

 **Transmuted Guest: I'll do my best and thank you for supporting and helping me out with making this story a bit more original. I can't wait to try and combine the two and I already have a few ideas forming (like Father giving Dante the red stones to power her homunculi up and we'll be using her homunculi because I liked them better, especially Wrath. But I'll still try to somehow get GreedLing in it since I love him too)**

 **And if anyone has any ideas on how to combine the plot-lines for 2003 and Brotherhood, because I'll take any suggestions anyone gives me. I still really need Tucker to be alive though, for Ed to eventually end up in our world and I really want to somehow get the Xingese gang and Briggs troops here, too.**

 **That being said, however, I still hope you like this story.**

* * *

I knew something wasn't right the second I woke up that fateful morning. First of all, I was more sluggish and groggy than usual. Second of all, I felt that if I moved even a tiny bit, I'd end up feeling like Hell. Third, and most important of all, I felt like something damp and slightly sticky was coming from between my legs.

Then I realized it.

I shot out of bed, threw the covers off me and literally screamed my fucking head off. Fearing I was still leaking and on the carpet, I ran into the bathroom and desperately searched for something to stop the bleeding before I either passed out from shock, blood loss, pain or tiredness.

I heard a door being slammed open and two voices yelling, "CELINA!"

"In here!" I yelled back, desperately and at the near point of tears.

Instantly, Warrant Officer Cromwell and Sargent Major Comet were in the tiny bath room of the dorm room I had been given since because I was a girl, I couldn't live in the male dorms with the Elrics but as their companion and a Chimera, I needed to be kept close.

When they saw me sitting in the bath, nearly in tears, Cromwell went into her motherly mode while Comet continued assessing the area.

"Honey, what happened and why did you scream like that?" Cromwell asked, "Did you have a nightmare?"

If this was coming from anyone else, it would sound like a snooty old woman talking to a 4-year-old girl who'd just wet the bed. But this was coming from Cromwell, who had been through war and knew the horrors of it could haunt anyone, weather they were asleep or not. But this wasn't a nightmare.

I shook my head and shakily pointed at the bed, "I, I, I had my first period last night and there was so much of it when I woke up and I, I just…"

My lower-lip quivered slightly, but Cromwell was already gently patting my back and smiling softly, "Hey, I'm sure it only looks like it's a lot. Maybe you should let someone who'd been through it before be the judge of that?"

I nodded and tried to smile, but ended up crying and bawling like a little baby. Cromwell took me into her arms and hugged me tightly while I cried into her shoulder and bled into the bath.

"Sir, I think you might want to look at this yourself." Comet stated, peaking her head back in.

"I'll be there in a minute, Sargent." Cromwell turned her head from me to her 'subordinate' and then back to me, "I promise you, honey, it's not gonna be nearly as bad as it feels to you."

She started to stand up and I internally panicked, "Wait!"

Cromwell stopped and turned around, her eyebrow raised slightly to let me know she was paying me her attention. I felt myself blushing as I made some motions with my hands for her to pick me up; this was so embarrassing, why am I letting myself do these things?

Cromwell smiled softly and after grabbing one of the black-towels I bought a while ago, she put it around my waist and picked me up; holding me with both of her arms, one supporting my butt and the other my back. I sat up and clung to her neck with both of my arms and I didn't care how embarrassing the position looked.

It was nice to be hugged like this even if I was 8-years-old now. Morgan never hugged me like this, neither did Richard or Tucker for that matter. Nothing wrong with making up for lost time when it would be considered a little too late. You're never too old to be young at heart, after all.

When she saw my bed, however, Cromwell did look more than a bit shocked, "Okay, I guess that is a bit much for a first period, Celina."

I looked at the practical puddle of blood on my bed, sweat-dropping and sheepishly chuckling, "Maybe there's so much of it because marsupials have more than one vagina?"

Comet glared at the blood on my bed, "It's going to take a lot of work to get that out." Then she turned to me, "I advise you to drink a lot of water until you stop bleeding though, since that much blood loss can't be good for your body, part Thylacine or not."

I nodded, chuckling uncertainty, "I better find something to hold the blood in since I can't really go out in public with blood running down my legs."

Cromwell smiled at me, softly, "I'll go get you a few tampons from my room. From the looks of things, you're going to need to change them at least every 2 hours."

Comet nodded in agreement, "You should probably read more about female Marsupial and Human anatomy to see the similarities and the things we aren't similar, so we can be prepared. There are books about it in the First Branch of the Central Library."

"Thanks so much, you guys." I smiled at the two woman who kept me calm, "I owe you both a lot."

"Aww, honey…" Cromwell cooed while Comet blushed.

Cromwell put me back on my own feet and knelled in front of me, "I'll be back as soon as possible. In the meantime, start stripping your bed and put it under some hot water and salt. That'll help with the stain."

I nodded and turned to Comet, "I'll go to the launderette in the lobby and see if they have anything powerful enough to help with really bad stains so I can clean your bed if it went through the covers, which I wouldn't be surprised if it did."

"Awww, shit." I felt heat gathering in my cheeks, "I can't believe this, I'm such an idiot."

"No you're not, you're just a girl who wasn't expecting this to happen so soon." Cromwell assured me, gently, "Trust me, I did the exact same thing when I had my first period."

I felt my eyes widen slightly, "You got blood on your mattress?"

Cromwell nodded, chuckling slightly, "My family were in the middle of moving into Central and on the night my bed was finally somewhat usable, Mother Nature came knocking and decided I was ready to start the agonizing and eternal journey of becoming a woman. To put it lightly, in the morning I was bawling, my mother was scrubbing and my dad was failing terribly at trying to calm me down. By the end of the day, my mom decided to fuck it and just get a new mattress while she came to save my dad from the situation that he was not equipped to deal with."

I found myself snickering, "Sorry Cromwell, but that is really, really funny."

"I know, right?" Cromwell winked at me and then turned to leave, "I'll be back soon. Come on, Comet."

"Sir!" Comet saluted and left with her superior.

I was left alone in my room and I did as they had instructed; stripped the bed and ran the bath with lots of hot water and salt. Cromwell and Comet eventually came back and while Cromwell assisted me in learning how to use the tampons I think they were called while Comet began scrubbing the mattress that unfortunately did have blood on it but luckily it wasn't half as bad as the sheets were.


	21. I Meet the Guys who like my Girls

About two hours later, after Cromwell and Comet helped me clean my bed and sheets, I was in the library trying to under-stand what the books that used too many large words were trying to tell me. And I'm afraid 'trying' was the key word.

"Hey kid, need some help?"

I looked up to see Warrant Officer Jean Havoc standing near me; I'd seen him around Central Command a few times and I knew he was one of Mustang's men… and that Cromwell was in love with him. I wasn't sure how that was working out since she had told me to keep it a secret because of the fraternization laws or something. Anyway, I didn't know him very well and I wasn't sure if I approved of him or not since Cromwell definitely deserved more than the best and nothing less.

So I glared at him slightly, "What's it to you, Mr. Warrant Officer?"

Havoc blinked for a moment, then chuckled slightly and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry, I guess I should have introduced myself. I'm Jean Havoc, from Mustang's Team."

He offered me his hand and I took it in a hesitant shake, "Celina Tucker, Edward Elric's companion and a living, breathing humanoid-Chimera."

His eyes brightened in recognition, "Oh, I've heard about you from Cromwell! She said you were an interesting kid and I can say she wasn't lying about that bit." He chuckled at the end of that statement.

I grumbled as I felt pains in my stomach, "Well, sorry, but I'd be more interesting right now if it wasn't my first ever time of the damned month in this crazy body."

Havoc's eyes widened and I internally chuckled as he spluttered, the cigarette in his mouth nearly falling out of it. I turned my eyes back to my book, but only felt my confusion and head-ache increasing.

"So, whatchya reading anyway?" I saw from the corner of my eye Havoc kneeling slightly so he could peak at my book.

"About female marsupial internal organs." I stated, pretending I knew what I was reading was about, "I'm part Thylacine and those guys are marsupials, so I probably do need to understand a few things about their periods so I can handle mine better."

"Looks complicated." Havoc stated, "You sure you can understand all that stuff?"

I snorted, "I'm no prodigy, but I'm not exactly in grade school, Havoc." But I ended up sighing, "I'm afraid I'm only getting bits of it, though. Damn scientists and their damn fancy, pansy language that no normal person can understand."

Havoc chuckled, "I'm no genius either, but I could try to help you out if you want. Cromwell already considers you her daughter, so as the duty of a close family friend, I should at least try."

I snorted again, "Please, I bet you're trying to gain points with me just so you can ask her out."

Havoc started blushing and spluttering, half-choking on his cigarette and I didn't even care how loud I ended up laughing because of the show I got to see. He eventually calmed down, but he didn't stop blushing.

I smirked at him and asked, "How long?"

Havoc groaned, "Since our Academy Days."

I awed, "School boy crush that never went away? Too bad the fraternization laws won't let you two be together, huh. You ever thought of retiring and asking her if she'd come along?"

Havoc shook his head, "All she ever lived for was the military, she's been planning on getting in since she was your age. And I really doubt she'd leave now that you're here. She never thought of being a mother, but I could see it whenever she talked about you she considers you her own. Besides, I kinda have something I need to do before I retire."

"I'm sure you do." I chuckled then sighed, "You think you can help me decipher the overly complicated language of science?"

Havoc chuckled and nodded. With that, we just sat there, occasionally reading a thing out-loud and at some point we had grabbed a dictionary to help us out. With some help from Havoc, I managed to find out a thing or two that would be considered useful to my situation. I nodded my thanks to Havoc and went on my way.

* * *

As I walked around Central Command in an attempt to get my thoughts together, I noticed Comet interacting with one of Mustang's men I think was Sergeant Kain Fuery. They were chatting just casually to anyone else, but I noticed a few things that were happening here that didn't happen around anyone else.

1: Comet looked, for the first time I had ever known her, relaxed around someone.

2: Her cheeks had gone a very unnoticeable pink colour, one I only spotted because of my Thylacine eyes.

3: She was smiling. She never smiled! Ever! Especially around men!

I saw the two of them talk a little bit more, exchange some files and when Fuery walked around the corner, Comet swooned! She fucking swooned! Comet did not do these things, period!

"You like him." I stated after sneaking up on her.

Comet screamed and turned around, glaring at me slightly, "Shouldn't you be taking care of yourself or researching, Celina?"

I smirked, "Shouldn't you be taking those files somewhere instead of swooning over a cute kid in glasses and is below your current ranking?"

A now very noticeable blush covered her overly pale cheeks and I knew I had won.

"For your information, you little brat," Comet hissed, "he just got promoted to Sergeant Major, making us equals now, so there!"

I snickered, "I still bet he's younger then you. Come on, he can't be any older then 19, right? And you're like, 25?"

Comet growled once more, "I'll have you know he's actually 23 and I'm 24 thank you very much and it's only by 3 months!"

I snickered, "Wow, looks are deceiving, I actually thought you were at least 40 years old!"

Comet's face turned red with anger, "YOU LITTLE-"

I laughed as I ran away from her, calling over my shoulder, repeatedly, "Oldie, oldie, you're so old!"

She yelled back at me, after instruct someone else to deliver those files, "You brat, I'll kill you!"

And I ended up laughing that hard because I don't think I've ever seen so much emotion come from her just for a bit of teasing. I'll have to bring up Mr. Sergeant Major Fuery more often.


	22. A Troubling Report

A few years later (I was 11, Edward was 15, Alphonse was 14) I'm afraid we're still looking for the Philosopher's Stone so the 'brothers' can get their bodies back to normal. Nearly everyone I know in the military has advanced at least one more rank upwards but not much has changed with me. I've learned my periods happen every 2 months instead of once every month and I've taken to using black sheets whenever I'm at least 2 weeks within the due date and I won't change them until 1 week after I start bleeding, just to make sure.

Sorry, I don't think any of you wanted to hear about that stuff. Let me get to the important things.

I've become a great fighter and I have a reputation alongside the Elrics as their 'Loyal Guard Wolf'. It's not the best title, 'Wolf of the Elrics', but it's better than being called a cat or dog; I'm not either of them, thank you very much. And I am technically a wolf since Thylacines are occasionally called Tesmanic Wolves, as I said before.

We've probably been to nearly every town or city after a lead on the Stone and we're still under Mustang's command; which is something Edward despises. I made a pen-pal out of Kyle and we often exchange letters, but since I'm not always in Central, I have them sent to Cromwell's address since I can count on her to take care of them and I also trust her not to read them. She's been proving I can trust her since I was 7, so I'm pretty sure I can keep trusting her as time drags on.

Sometimes I actually call her 'Mom' and Comet 'Big Sister'; both of them either end up cooing and giving me love and affection (Cromwell usually) or blushing and stuttering that they weren't old enough to me related to me (Comet normally).

Right now, Mustang had called us into his office because he'd found a new assignment to give us and we were on our way.

We arrived and the first thing I did was wave my hand and say "Hey, everyone!"

Instantly, all the heads here turned to me and responded to my greeting and the one Edward and Alphonse gave right after me.

Things had changed a lot in this office. I've gotten closer to Havoc and Fuery like family, Hawkeye taught me how to shoot every kind of firearms and helped me get a licence to use them, Falman taught Alphonse chess and Breda taught Edward how to wrestle.

We walked into Mustang's office and the first thing Edward said was, "Hello, Coronal Bastard."

Yeah, he got promoted to a full Coronal after the Youswell incident and everyone was living in East City now.

"Hello, Fullmetal," Mustang didn't bother looking up from his paper work, "I've got a urgent mission for you and your team."

This made me tense; not because of what he said, but rather what he didn't say. Usually when I walk into this office, it's like hell on Earth because Edward would called him a Bastard, he'd call her a Shrimp and then they'd be arguing for 5 minutes at least before finally getting back to business. He ignored her comment in exchange for instantly talking about the mission; this must be a really bad one.

"What's the mission, Coronal?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the worry in my voice.

The Elrics finally noticed the change and I saw both of them tense.

"I've heard some… disturbing reports about a town in the South-East of Amestris called Rayerk. Have you heard of it?" Mustang's voice had dropped gravely.

And I felt sickness rise in my throat, "That… that was the town I grew up in before I went into the foster system. That town is literally a Hell hole; constant rapes, drug exchanges, criminals… That town isn't even a part of society anymore, it's a criminal's playground."

Ed and Al gasped and looked at me, but I couldn't take my eyes away from Mustang to say anything to them.

The Flame Alchemist nodded, "That is true. The military have been trying to clean the town up a bit so it wouldn't be so dangerous for it's inhabitants, however… recently, a large number of young girls have been reported missing in both that town and all over the South area and in Aerugo. Our neighboring country is blaming us for these disappearances and saying that men wearing our military uniforms have been spotted at each one of these kidnappings."

"What?! How would it be possible for us to even cross the border when we're at war with them?" Edward asked, unable to understand.

"That's what the Führer is telling them, but the meetings aren't going well, not in the slightest. We're already at war with them, so there isn't much that can happen to make things worse, but the Führer doesn't want us taking any chances since these 'kidnapped girls' could really be spies. Either way, you've been assigned to this mission by the Führer himself to investigate this town and find out what's really going on." Mustang tossed an envelop at us and I caught it.

"Why does he want us specifically in on this?" I asked, opening the envelop.

I felt puke rising up my stomach and gathering in my wind-pip as I saw the pictures inside. Edward saw the reaction and took the pictures from me and I tried to get my breathing to return to normal.

"Because these reports say these girls are being turned into humanoid Chimeras and are being used as slaves and prostitutes." Mustang finished.


	23. An Old Friend

A little while later, after the uncomfortable train ride into Fexeif, Edward, Alphonse and I walked off train and managed to convince one of the locals to allow us to borrow a car so we could drive to Rayerk since there weren't any trains or roads leading there.

That's one of the main reasons the town had been so bad; it was so isolated.

The local drove us all the way there and as soon as we had gotten out after the long, four-hour drive, he was speeding away without even a goodbye. And I really didn't blame him.

We walked into the town, me leading since I still remembered it all too well, and I didn't flinch at the sights around me. Edward and Alphonse on the other hand…

As a man was being used as a seat cushion by some woman flowing purple smoke out of a pipe, she laughed and smirked seductively at Edward, "Oh, we got some hot-shot in a braid in our little town do we? Why don't you let me show you a good time, stranger?"

Edward looked like she would be physically six from pity and I ended up grabbing her hand in order to make sure she didn't stand there for too long.

A bit further down the path, a shifty looking man walked right up to Alphonse and began inspecting his armour, "That's some nice armour, sir." The shifter opened up his coat, grinning sickly as all the packets of dangerous indulgences were shown off, "wanna trade it for some of this stuff? I assure you, it'll feel really good while it happens."

"No thank you, we bought some already." I hissed and we walked away from him before he could start chasing us.

"Didn't Mustang say the military was cleaning this place up?!" Edward hissed in a hushed tone, "And why did you tell that guy we already had shit?!"

"Looks like he was wrong. And I said that because if we didn't, he wouldn't have left us alone." I hissed back, "The drug dealers here hate each other and won't sell their shit to someone who's bought someone else's crap. It was the only way to get him to fuck off without it ending in a fight."

"Celina," Alphonse looked around the dirty streets, evident fear in his eyes, "how could you live in a place like this for so long?"

"Because I hadn't known anything different." I stated, looking around the streets, "I was hardly out of the house, but whenever I could get out, it was to walk my Mom to work mostly. Nearly got raped a few times on those treacherous journeys, though I didn't know it back then, so I tried to stay inside as much as I could. It had been the only way for me to survive, for a time."

I looked around, seeing if I could spot it when I did and sighed.

"Come on guys, there is one safe place around here." I explained and started heading towards it.

The Elrics followed behind me as I walked up to a shady looking hotel with a broken roof, 20 flours and a few smashed in windows. It was covered in graffiti just like every other building in this town so it didn't stand out much. I knocked three times on the door and called the password, "Broken eyes, tell nothing but lies."

Instantly the door opened and I was dragged in while Edward and Alphonse ran in right after me. The door was slammed shut behind them and we all had knives at our throats. Edward and Alphonse looked like they would have started freaking out if they could have.

"You bitch, who do you think you are?" The kid who kept the knife at my throat demanded, tugging on my hair and making me wince as I bared my neck.

I chuckled though, "Is that anyway to greet an old club member, Anbra-chan?"

Instantly, the knife was off my throat and I was turned around; I saw the girl who had been holding me captive had grey hair, amber eyes and tanned skin. And a shocked expression.

"Celina?" Anbra gasped.

I dropped down to kick her out from under her legs, but she saw the attack coming and jumped. She went to pin my body to the ground, but I back-flipped out of the way and landed on my feet and grabbed her hands, locking our fingers and smashing our foreheads together.

I smirked the same time she grinned; all at once we stopped pushing each other and instead pulled each other close into a hug.

"I miss you so much, Celina, how did you get out of this Hell hole?!" Anbra practically yelled, nearly choking me.

I squeezed her back, "I missed you too, Anbra-chan!" I pulled back from the hug and smiled at her, "It's a long story, but I'll make sure to fill you in as soon as I can."

"And I'll fill you in on what's been going on around here, too." Anbra chuckled and then turned to the Elrics, "So, are the armour kid and shrimp with you?"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A TINY, SHORTY, MIDGET SHRIMP WHO EATS HIS OWE KIND?!" Edward screamed.

I nodded, "Yeah, they're with me, guys so let 'em go. Just don't call the one in the red coat short, or he'll eat you for breakfast."

The kids who had been holding knives at their throats backed off and put them back in their pockets. I gestured for the Elrics and kids to follow me and so, after kicking open the old door, we started heading up into the old building.

"The only other reason I would ever come out of my house would be to go to this place we called the Tower of Heaven." I explained as we walked up the stairs and down the corridors, "Here, all the kids that dream of better living would gather and listen to a woman we'd call 'Mother Judy' tell us stories of the places in our great country that we could one day see if we worked hard. She taught everyone here how to fight, how to read and write, how to do some basic first aid and sometimes she'd teach a few people a bit of Alchemy if they could get it."

"One day, about 3 years after Celina left us for the foster system, Mother Judy passed away and since then, 'Sister Astrid' has been in charge around here." Anbra explained, "She's been teaching everyone who comes here the same things Judy taught us and we've managed to keep this little place safe from being infected any more than it already has been by the evil that lurks in this town. However, recently, something strange has been going on."

I nodded, "I heard that the military tried to clean this place up. So I'm guessing that in other words, they tried to kill everyone here?"

Anbra nodded, "There have been near riots in the streets and the military were just about ready to blow up this building, when suddenly all the soldiers disappeared… Along with Sister Astrid."

I gasped, "Astrid was kidnapped?"

Anbra nodded as we walked into the old 'council hall', only allowing Ed and Al to follow us in, "Any girls in our group that have gone out, between the ages of 6 and 16 have been reported missing. Astrid was the first to disappear about 2 months ago and it's been like that ever since. I'm one of only 7 girls left here, not including you, Celina."

"Only 7?!" I demanded, shocked, "How did that happen?!"

"We don't know." Anbra stated as she took a seat behind the desk we'd placed in there and the rest of us took a seat in front of her, "All we do know, is the numbers of girls have been going down and the number of Chimera sightings and attacks have increased."

"Chimeras have been attacking people?" Edward asked, voice oddly level.

Anbra shook her head, "It appears to be the opposite. A lot of the kids at the Tower of Heaven have come across bloody and burned bodies, so badly damaged you can't even tell what they used to be made of."

Alphonse gasped, "Then… how are you so sure that they're Chimeras?"

Anbra sighed, "Because of the shape of the body. Just because we couldn't tell if it had cat ears or a wolf tail, doesn't mean we don't recognize an animal out-line when we see it. We aren't stupid, Mr Fullmetal Alchemist's Brother."

I gasped, "How could you tell?"

My childhood friend sighed as if I was stupid, "Even out here in Rayerk we hear tales of the living legends known as the Elric Brothers and their Wolf-Eared companion. I could tell by the sound of his foot-steps Edward had an Automail leg and considering he was wearing gloves, I figured he was hiding his Automail hand. Plus, it's not every day you see a walking suit of armour or your childhood friend you assumed as dead standing with a pair of famous people."

Everyone was extremely tense as Anbra stared at us with hatred; I didn't blame her, considering the military tried to destroy the only home she'd ever known, even if it was just a shady hotel.

So, I decided I needed to do my best, "Look, Anbra, I'm sorry and if they had known what was going on, they wouldn't have let the military even tr-"

"Hahahahahaha!"

I stopped and looked at Anbra to find the girl… laughing?! That grey-haired friend of mine never laughed! Period!

She eventually calmed down and smirked at me, "If you think I'm gonna stereotype every State Alchemist as some mindless Dog of the Military, then it looks like you've forgotten a few things about me after all these years apart, my friend." Then her smile became sincere, "You wouldn't hang out with that kind, even if they threatened you at knife point and I trust your judgement, Celina. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

I felt a relieved smile appear on my face and thanked destiny I had such a great friend, "Thanks so much, Anbra. You're the best."

Anbra snorted, "Obviously! So, if you guys plan on helping us out, you're gonna need a room to sleep in. Follow me."

And so, we did.


	24. Beware the Jubberman, Girl

That night, I couldn't sleep. I tried everything, but I couldn't sleep, no matter what. It wasn't my instincts keeping me up, I'd learned how to control them better over the years. It wasn't a lack of needing sleep, I was plenty tired.

It was anxiety keeping me up. There used to be at least 60 kids here all together and 36 of them were girls. 29 girls gone missing in the span of 2 months. Dead Chimeras popping up everywhere. Something was incredibly wrong in this town, more so then usual.

Then I remembered an old fairy tale Astrid would tell the little kids when she wanted to scare them.

 _She'd always say, "Far away, in the deep, dark woods of eternal winter, their lives an apparition named," she'd pause and then sort of pounce on the kids, screaming, "THE JUBBERMAN!"_

 _Everyone would scream and after Astrid was done waiting for us to sit back together quietly, or for the cowards to leave, she'd continue, "You see, a long time ago, there lived a man named Johan Zraly. He was a middle class man with an obsession with wine making, loved woman and hated children even though he had some. He would beat his sons until they were near death and slave his daughters to the point of collapse."_

 _All the children would gasp and whimper, memories of their own drug-addicted and horrible fathers (or mothers) coming to mind._

 _When the commotion would settle, Astrid would continue, "One day, Johan's oldest daughter and son decided that enough was enough and they needed to kill their father in order to make sure their little siblings would live. They devised a plan and set it into action._

" _Johan was going to sell his wine at the market, which was once in this very town of Rayerk, but that would be such a tiresome journey. He lived at the top of a snowy hill in the middle of the forest and would need to carry an entire wagon to and from this village and his home; but he would manage, since his children were such good helpers._

" _But when he called for them, his children were all sick and could not help him carry the wagon; they were all close to death and since he knew they wouldn't be of any help to him, Johan went on alone._

" _Johan was in the middle of his journey when he decided he needed to stop and rest. But, before he could take off his wagon, the ground began to tremble. Johan looked to his left where a steep hill climbed towards the sky and saw a massive snow-ball coming his way and his eldest children running on it!"_

" _There was no time to get away and right beside the road was a steep ravine that would lead him to his death. His son and daughter were going to hit him any moment! CRASH!"_

 _Astrid would clap her hands, making all the children jump, before smirking and continuing,_

" _Over the rotten Johan went, wagon and all, falling into the bottomless pit, waiting for death to claim him!"_

" _B-but…" Someone would always ask, half to tears, "what happened to the big brother and sister?"_

 _Astrid would sigh and tell them in a regretful voice, "They went over the edge with their rotten father, both of them losing their lives and were never to be seen again. A few weeks after the accident, the towns people went into the pit to retrieve and burry the bodies of the people who had died down there. Only to find, not 3 bodies, but 2."_

 _Anbra and I would gulp as loud as we could and snuggle closer together._

 _Someone would ask, "Who… who's bodies were found?"_

" _The brother and sister's bodies. But their father, old Johan, was nowhere to been seen." Astrid would tell, "The foolish towns people assumed some animal, like a bear or pack of wolves, had eaten him and taken what was left to their dens. And they paid the price for this foolishness with their children's lives._

" _Every night when the moon was invisible, people would disappear without a trace only to reappear a week later, stripped of their cloths and sanity, only a bottle of wine in their hands, mumbling on and on about 'Beware, weary travelers and night stalkers, the Jubberman is just around the bend, the Jubberman is just around the bend' and then cackle madly only to die of alcohol poisoning 3 days later._

" _The towns people were baffled by this and a group of brave men and women went out into a moonless night, searching for this so called 'Jubberman' who was poisoning the people, one of them was Johan's last son. They all went into the woods… and the only one who ever came back, was the son, as maddened as the others, only he chanted 'Johan Zraly's revenge has come to pass, as he haunts the moonless night he was killed on as… THE JUBBERMAN!"_

 _Someone would scream behind all the kids, making the rest of us scream "IT'S THE JUBBERMAN", only to get laughed at when it was revealed it was only one of the older kids wearing a mask._

 _After laughing at us, Astrid and the older kid would send us to bed and we'd all be awake the entire night, pretending to be asleep so the Jubberman wouldn't get us since she always told that story on a moonless night._

That story had been the main reason I never went out at night as a kid and it was also a large reason as to why I didn't spend all my time at the Tower of Heaven. I could hear that story a 100 times over and it would still scare me; it did even now just thinking about it.

"AH! HEY! LET ME GO!"

My ears twitched and I looked out my window to see a woman struggling while a man held her wrist and I felt my blood boil. I jumped out of the window, jumping down ledge to ledge and when I got to ground flour, I ran to where the woman was.

I growled and jumped in front of her, making the man let go of her hand and back away.

I snarled, "Stay away from her!"

The man smirked-

WACK!

-the back of my head felt like a brick smashed into it. I feel to the ground and watched with blurry vision as the 'woman' and man shock hands. One of them knelled in front of me, placed a finger to his lips and whispered:

"Beware the Jubberman, girl. Beware the Jubberman."

He cackled and I was out like a light.


	25. Chimeras, Violence and Sex, Oh My!

"Stay away from her, stay away! Growl, growl, snarl, snarl! HAHAHA! Looks like this little bitch has an attitude; we'll need to start training her as soon as possible or we won't be able to ship her off with the next batch."

"Whatever, Julock, just make sure you get the room as heavy as you can, got it? This one was kicking me, even in her sleep."

"Awww, can the big, bag Wolf not take a little, beaty-weety. HAHAHA! You've gotten weaker if you're complaining about a few kicks from a cub, Wolf."

"Shut up. We're here now, so just focus on your job since I've done mine."

"Yeah, yeah, I know…"

A lock twisted somewhere in the darkness of my weary mind.

"…sent up the room enough to make her crazy, I know how to do my job, Wolf."

I felt my body being tossed into a cell and I landed on my book, skidding for a bit before being stopped by someone putting their hand on my shoulder. I heard footsteps walking away as female voices murmured and I forced my eyes open, even if I felt like I got my head smashed in with a brick.

I sat up and rubbed at my eyes, growling, "I feel like I got hit by a train."

"You shouldn't be moving around so much miss…" The woman behind me trailed off when she got a look at my face.

And I got a look at her's. She had dog ears sprouting from the top of her head, her hair that had once been gingery had turned black, her green eyes took on a molten gold color of seduction, but there was no mistaking that pale face.

"Astrid?!"/"Celina?!"

We both nodded, then tears appeared in our eyes and we hugged each other at the same time, letting them fall.

"Oh, Celina, I thought your parents killed you, I thought you were dead!" Astrid cried.

"I thought you were being used as some old pervert's kinky cat toy, Astrid, I thought you were in serious trouble!" I whimpered.

We just hugged each other and cried before pulling back from each other and sitting more comfortably with our legs crossed in front of each other.

"Give me a long story short what happened to you two months ago." I stated.

Astrid nodded, "I was out one night after the military threatened to attack the Tower of Heaven again; I was trying to find a new place to relocate, only to be drugged, dragged down here and then have my body combined with that of a cat's. Since then, they've been giving me 'sex lessons' for my 'new life as a whore' and been beating me brutally to try to get me to let go of my inner strength. Tell me what the hell's been happening to you."

"Richard and Morgan died in a hit and run, I met my real birth father who turned me into a Chimera, I became friends with the famous Elric Brothers and we've been running around Amestris for the last 4 odd years." I summarized.

Astrid gave a small laugh, "You know famous people personally, huh? That's just like you to get involved with someone like that."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing." I pouted.

She shook her head and smiled, "No, it's a good thing, trust me."

"So, how do we get out?" I asked, looking around.

There were nothing but female Chimeras surrounding me in this crammed room.

I heard a snort and turned around to see a brunette with blonde height-lights in her hair, violet eyes and brown bear ears, "You can't, girl. Anyone who's tried has died on the spot. Or been raped to death."

I felt puke rise up my throat as the other girls began speaking of the horrors they saw while they were with these people.

"My sister… died in the transmutation, she then had her body battered into so many pieces, all that existed was blood, blood and more blood! I couldn't eat for days!"

"They murdered my male cousins, father, brothers, uncles and kidnapped me and all my sisters and female cousins and I… I was the only one turned into a cat and they were all turned into dogs and hated me! They all blamed me!"

"My parents solid me to some sleazy old man in exchange for drugs and then he sold me to these people to get turned into a vampire bat!"

"My boyfriend was a drug addict and one night when we were fighting, the scientists stormed in, took me away and killed him right on the spot. I got combined with a fox soon after and I love it here."

"They picked me right up off the street and after giving me food and water, transmuted me with a wolf. It doesn't personally matter to me anymore of what my employers use me for. As far as I'm concerned, I'm used to being a slave."

"I had just been raped by some of their teachers and then got turned into a panda Chimera right after, only to find out I was pregnant. When the child was born though, it was a stillborn because of how I was treated by everyone here."

"I managed to get out of Rayerk and lived peacefully for a time with my brother, but then… the scientists drugged and killed him and transmuted me into a frog for the fuck of it!"

"My mother was killed right in front of me by my previous master because she refused to let me take part in a three-way with them!"

"At least your mother cared; mine, after getting all of us fox ears, forced me and my 5 little sisters to have sex with our masters. My littlest sister got pregnant at age 8 because of it and it killed her."

"My father was the scientist that killed my mother, raped me and then turned me into a minx."

I felt like I was really going to puke when the cage was slammed and a man yelled, "BE QUIET, BITCHES! Save your voices for the day a miracle happens and you have something intelligent to say!"

All the girls screamed in right and scurried back from the bars. All except me. I did something entirely different.

I grabbed the bars and glared at the bastard on the other side who was wearing a mask to hide his probably ugly face, "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO SHUT UP! HOW DARE YOU PUT THESE GIRLS THROUGH THAT SHIT!"

"What did you say to me, you little bitch?!" The guard walked around and grabbed the front of my shirt, hoisting me up and slamming my head with the roof of the room.

Several voices gasped and I heard Astrid scream, "CELINA! Please let her go, she hasn't been trained yet! Punish me instead!"

I felt my brain being used as a drum as the man lowered me slightly, "So, she hasn't been trained yet, huh? This must be the one Julock and Wolf wanted me to get for them. Nothing wrong with giving her a tutorial though!"

I had my body thrown harshly to the ground and felt the air rush out of my lungs, leaving me winded. I heard the door being unlocked and felt myself being grabbed away by my ankle. I got picked up by my shirt again as I tried to get air back into my lungs enough to open my eyes. I saw the 'cage' door that all the girls was in was wide open, but no one was trying to get out, the guard was holding me up and had his fist pulled back. But I wasn't even going to flinch.

I snarled at him, "Do your worst! The most you could make me feel is a little pinch compared to all the other shit I've ever gone through. And I'm sure compared to the rest of the girl's here, you're powerless!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" The guard screamed in out-rage and punched my face in once.

He threw me to the ground but before he could grab me again, this time I cart-wheeled out of the way, kicking his chin in right after. He fell back on his ass and sat up, glaring at me.

"You bitch, YOU BROKE MY NOSE!" He growled.

I snorted, "Yeah and so could anyone else in that cage who wanted to! Every single girl in there has the potential to be strong of mind and spirit and they've already proven they are since they haven't killed themselves like a bunch of cowards even after all that heart-break!"

I turned my eyes to the girls and pointed at the open door, "Girls, the door is open, the chance to fight back, to escape is right here in front of you, so why not take it?! You're stronger then these bastards, each and every one of you is! So, prove to them you're not a bunch of bitches to be used as slaves because you're stronger then that!"

Astrid gasped, "LOOK OUT!"

I dropped down and kicked the guard's legs out from underneath him, making him land on his front. I got on his back, held his arms behind him and used all of my weight to keep him down. I looked back at the girls and smiled.

"See?" I called, motioning with my head to the man below me, "Girls are strong and we can take these guys out easy! So let's go already and get the heck out of her-"

BANG!

The girls screamed as a hammer appeared out of nowhere and hit me in the stomach, sending me flying into the wall. I didn't have the breath to scream it was all knocked out of me almost instantly.

"And then when a real man comes around, rebellious sluts like you get a beating and remember your place in this world. On the ground, serving the men above you who are your superiors in every way possible."

I tried to open my eyes as I felt the hammer being taken from my stomach, letting me fall to the flour and suck air back into my body again, causing me to cough. I felt someone place his foot on my back and when I tried to shake it off, another foot kicked my stomach in, leaving me winded again.

"Julock, I've secured her!" The man above me yelled, emotionless.

I heard clapping and turned my head slightly to see a man with an idiotic smile, maddened green eyes and crazy pink hair with an occasional bread wearing some black jeans, a white shirt and black sneakers, "Excellent, Wolf, you've done a good job, I'm proud of you!"

I snarled in his direction, only to get kicked again. I rolled for a bit until I landed on my stomach again. I was picked up by a muscle filled arm and looked up to see what appeared to be back hair, grey eyes and pale skin, wearing the same cloths as the other man who I guessed was Julock.

 _Which makes this guy Wolf…_

I hadn't taken a proper sniff at anyone yet actually; I sniffed at Wolf and realized he really did smell like a wolf and that was when I finally noticed it. He had a wolf tail sprouting out of his jeans and ears on top of his head.

 _This guy is a Chimera, too?!_

Julock approached us, smirking as he inspected me like some bag of meat at the market, walking around Wolf and me and occasionally pocking me, only to get snarled and scratched at which would lead to me had back-handed on the head by Wolf.

Julock was laughing by the end of it and I felt like the world was spinning, "Well, aren't you vicious?! That's so cute, we never give the boys' a challenge these days. Come along now, Julock, let's get the girl trained."

Wolf began walking after Julock locked the cage door and Astrid was already at the bars, screaming, "PLEASE, I BEG YOU JULOCK-SAMA, PLEASE LET HER GO, I'M BEGGING YOU, LET HER GO, KILL ME IF YOU HAVE JUST LET HER G-"

"You should really shut up, Sugar-plum." Julock mocked, twirling the key around his finger, "It would be incredibly easy to break her neck like a toothpick."

Astrid gasped as she stared at me, "Y-you wouldn't-"

"No, most likely not." Julock sighed, "But if the master decides she's more trouble than she's worth, it won't take much to have her dead."

With that, I was carried away like a rag doll towards wherever it was they decided to take me.


	26. Despicable Teaching Methods

**AN: For those of you who do not like reading stories where attempted rape takes place, please advert your eyes and read the next chapter.**

* * *

I was thrown into a room on a bed and had the door slammed shut behind me. I hissed as I sat up and turned around, glaring at it, "I hope those fuckers die in a ditch."

I looked around the room and felt blood rushing to my face; I didn't know what most of the things here were, but I definitely recognized some shapes from my very brief and short encounters with paintings of male anatomy that existed in the medical books I used to read. I think… Oh my god, I think I'm surrounded by sex toys?!

 _Okay, just calm down and sniff around a bit, okay? Get your bearings, girl._

I sniffed a little and I did notice something different; I couldn't tell what, but it was definitely effecting my body somehow. There was a sharp pain between my legs that felt kind of like blockage, but I still had nearly no idea what was going on.

"Damnit…" I moaned in… was it pain? What else could it be, I mean, my female organs are hurting, right? Why is my brain acting like this? "Wh-what's happening to…" I started gasping as I felt instincts telling me to touch the area of pain to make it go away, "to my bo-body?"

 _What's going on? Get it together, girl. Just, try to find out what's going on, look at it from a book's POV._

"Increasing heart beat," I held a hand over my heart and it involuntarily squeezed my breast, making me gasp out, "extra sensitivity to touch," I felt like my ears were burning with a blush that was painting the rest of my face, "increased blood pressure, I think," I noticed my breathing, "rapid breathing and… pain in my… areas." I know my face was trying to burn itself off at the admissions and I put my hand to my forehead, "I… I think I've got a fever or… or something, except, I'm so… I feel hot all over, it's… damnit, it's… it's killing me."

Half my instincts were screaming at me not to touch myself in any way possible, the other half were telling me to run out the door and avoid contact no matter what, but my body feels so sluggish and it hurt less once I touched it.

It took me a moment to realize what was going on in the situation and a voice in my said whispered, " _If you don't get out of there, you will end up just like Morgan at the end of every job._ "

That was what it took for me to finally realize it, " _Oh dear God, am I…_ " I gulped, "Am I sexually aroused?"

"Bingo, girly."

I turned my head to the man in front of me; he looked no older then 25, with plain black hair, dark violet eyes, pale skin and wearing a simple shirt and jeans. To me, he looked like some kind of evil present from the heavens for a split second.

Then I snarled at him, "Well sorry, but I'll just fix it myself, so you can just fuck off someplace else!"

The man sighed and shook his head, as if he was already tired with me, "I'm afraid I can't abandon a woman in need of assistance. Especially if she is to be my student."

"St-student?!" I exclaimed in out-rage, then I full on glared at him, "You bastard, you're one of those rapping teachers I heard about from the other girls!"

The man nodded and bowed slightly, "Mr. Osburn, if you will."

I continued to glare at him, "You bastard, how can you do that to them?! They were just innocent girls, how could you take everything away from them like that?! Their human identity, their family, their innocence… HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO THEM!"

SLAP!

The strike hit me faster than I could see it coming and suddenly, Osburn was over me, holding down my wrists with his hands and my ankles with his knees. I squirmed and screamed, but there was nothing I could do and a sense of powerlessness crashed on me, making the reactions of my body start to come to mind again and I tried to make myself calm down.

"Sorry, girl." Osburn grabbed at my chin, forcing eye-contact with him, "But our employers don't like it when their personal slaves don't get excited; so you're going to have to stay excited."

"I'd rather die," I snarled, "then take these classes with someone I don't love."

And then I did something that would get me in a lot of trouble; I spat in his eye.

In a human reaction, Osburn let go of one of my wrists in exchange for rubbing the fluid out of his eye and that was his mistake. I punched his face in, using all the strength my Chimera body had to give me at the current moment and I startled him enough to make him let go of my other hand. I then used both hands to punch his chest and shove him off me, leading to him falling on the bed and me making a bad dash for the shut door. I reached it-

"YOU BITCH!"

-only to have my shirt grabbed and the piece on my back torn clean off my body. I screamed and clenched what was left of the fabric to my chest, tears welling up in my eyes not because I was shocked, but because of what this shirt meant to me.

* * *

" _Here you go, Celina!" Cromwell cheered, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"_

" _Cromwell," I chuckled as we walked around the Command Center in Central, "It's not my birthday."_

" _Oh." Cromwell blinked, then smiled again and shoved the box she was holding into my hands, "Well, just take it anyway!"_

 _I chuckled as I started untying the ribbons and such, "What is it anyway?"_

" _Open it up and you'll find out!" Cromwell stated in a laughing manner._

 _I chuckled and opened the box and gasped, pulling out the contents and holding it in front of me._

 _It was a black shirt with Thylacines, pictures not paintings, all over it; sleeves, back, front every bit had at least one Thylacine on it. And on the front was some white writing._

" _Even if I am not human in mind, body or soul…" I read out-loud, turning it over to the back, "I have a heart big enough to hold a thousand armies."_

" _I got that especially made for you since Comet and I realized you wear almost the exact same out-fit every day of the year." Cromwell stated, grinning, "Now your wardrobe will have a bit of variety in it!"_

 _Tears filled the corners of my eyes as I turned to her, "Cromwell, this is amazing, thank you so much. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."_

 _Cromwell smiled and placed her hand in a caring manner on my head, "Just live your life the best way you can, Celina. Just like you already do."_

" _I will!" I nodded, determination in my eyes as I spotted the girls' bathroom, "I'm gonna go put the shirt on, I'll be right back!"_

" _Take your time!" Cromwell called as I ran in._

* * *

"Are you crying because the need for release is making you that desperate?" Osburn asked, stalking towards me.

I sat on the flour, my bare back to the cold wall, clutching the shirt to my chest and shook my head no, fearing that if I looked at him, he'd see just how scared I really was. Panic was starting to flood my mind and body when I realized he was strong enough to do this to a present from Cromwell; from the closest thing to a mother I have ever had in my entire life.

"Too bad then, you're going to get that release anyway." Osburn was right in my face, swiftly waking a stray hair away from my face, "Get ready, but the first lesson is always the most painful. But it'll feel better later."

I shook my head and curled tighter in on myself as I felt him press up between my legs that I had drawn to my chest. I felt his disgusting tongue lick at my cheeks while I heard his hand reaching down to undo his belt.

BEEP! BEEP! " **Warning! Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!** "

Osburn sighed and stood up, glaring at me as I tried not to sob.

"You got lucky from the looks of things; class is post-pond for now. I expect to still see my newest student here when I get back, though." With that, the man walked out the door and closed it behind him.

I burst into tears and held the remains of my shirt to my eyes, desperately wishing Edward, or Alphonse, or Cromwell, or Anbra, or Astrid (Hell, I'd settle for Mustang even) were here right now.

"Somebody…" I stopped as my body shook, "Anybody…" I sniffled a bit more, "Help…"


	27. Anand the Half-Breed

**AN: I would like to thank Mary Phantom for her help with this and the OC that appears belongs to her since she was the one who originally invents him. For the fans who feel I have been more than a bit brutal with my writing, none of you have to worry anymore because I promise, things are going to get better now. I swear it.**

* * *

I don't know how long I sat on that cold, hard ground, sobbing into the shirt Cromwell gave me. I only realized time had pasted when I heard a voice.

"Hey, are… are you okay, miss?"

I lifted my head slightly to see a boy standing near the door, a hand still holding onto it. He had blonde hair that looked kinda spiky, but it was sort of covered by a camouflage bandanna so it was kinda hard to tell. His skin was dark as mud and his eyes were a vibrant yet deep red. He was wearing a white shirt with orange squares on it, denim jeans with rips, black solid-looking trainers and had a dark blue hoodie wrapped around his waist by the sleeves.

 _He looked kinda cute._

I felt my face burn at the thought, but shook my head to his question and looked down into my lap, "No, I'm not okay."

I heard some shuffling and when I felt a weight on my head, I blinked out from under it at the boy.

He just grinned innocently, "I thought you might be cold and you need it more than I do." He turned his back to me and walked to the door, "I'll keep watch so no one scary comes in."

I was completely touched by his kindness. Completely and utterly touched, enough to leave me dumb-found for a few moments. But it soon faded and I was pulling the hoodie over my head; for a moment, I realized just how soft and warm it felt and I hugged myself with a small smile. It didn't hurt that it smelt nice, either; like grassy, rolling hills and an honest day's work.

I stood up and walked over to the boy, "Hey, what's your name?"

The boy turned and blinked at me, then smiled and held out his hand, "Anand Shama. My first name means 'Happiness' or 'Bliss' and my last name means 'Joy' or 'Shelter'. I'm 14 years old and half-Ishvalan, half-Amestrian. It's nice to meet you."

I smiled as I took his hand in a firm shake, "Shoko Tucker, but please call me by my middle name, Celina. It means 'Moon Goddess of the Sky and Heaven' and Tucker means 'To Torment' or 'Walker' sometimes. Fully Amestrian by birth, half Thylacine by blood and 11 years old. Thank you for the hoodie."

Anand continued to smile, and he gently tugged on my hand, "Let's get you out of here."

I nodded, but then looked down the corridor, "We have to help the other girls get out of here, too though."

"There are more people trapped down here?" Anand sounded surprised as we started walking in the direction of the cages.

"Yeah and even if the door is wide open, they're too scared to leave this place," I explained, "They've pretty much given up and are just waiting for the day they die down here."

"We're gonna need help then." Anand went into his pocket.

"No!" I yelled, grabbing his wrist before he could pull anything out.

Anand looked at me for a moment, but I sighed and let go of his wrist, "Everyone down here has either had someone they loved killed by a man or a member of the male population has been responsible for creating the circumstances of a person they love dying. There isn't a single girl who hasn't been raped and everyone's been treated so badly by the men here, I don't think they'll even be able to look at a boy like you without whimpering."

"So, we need a woman's touch?" Anand asked, eye brow raised.

I nodded, remembering all my female friends in the military, "And of all the times for me to be without a way to contact the military."

For a moment, Anand and I stood there, silently staring at our feet, when he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Looks like we got no choice. I'm gonna have to get out of here so I can get the right kind of help for the girls while you make sure they're warned and ready for it."

I nodded, "Remember, Anand. We need female officers here to deal with the victims."

"You got it, just make sure they'll be okay." Anand nodded and started running.

A final thought came to me, "IF THEY DON'T BELIEVE YOU, TELL THEM CELINA TUCKER SENT YOU, I KNOW PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY!"

"OKAY, JUST STAY SAFE!" Anand called back at me.

He turned a corner and with that, he was gone.


	28. Heroine or Monster, Prologue

I turned back around and continued heading for the girls' cage, only to burst in on my worst nightmare. All the girls were gone.

"DAMN IT!" I cursed and looked around.

I took a moment to sniff at the air and started running in the direction I smelt Astrid. I ran until I came across all the girls being loaded into a truck, all of them either shackled or in cages. I felt even sicker at the sight when I saw Osburn standing there with Julock and Wolf, looking like he was in charge. And me being the impulsive idiot I was, went charging right for the cages (morphing into my more animal-like form that I had been in on my first morning of Chimera Life) and with a swipe of my claws, they were open and crumbling.

"WHAT?!" Julock yelled, panicked.

I continued to jump around, clawing at the cages and releasing whoever I could. I heard gunfire aiming for me and I think a bullet went through one of my ears; that was when I decided to move away from the girls to make sure I didn't get any of them killed in the cross-fire. Instead, I charged towards the gunmen, dodging bullets, leaving them gasping and screaming in fear when I got closer.

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" One of the men screamed.

I scratched at the men's arms and hands, knocking their guns out of them and leaving them on the ground, bleeding more than slightly. I slammed my foot as hard as I could on a gun, ensuring to damage it beyond use. The girls gasped as I came back for them, releasing them from their chains and shackles.

"YOU BITCH!"

I turned around just in time to punch Osburn in the face, stopping him from getting too close to me. I jumped on the bastard's chest and snarled at him, "Not so tough when you don't have your drugs or whatever to get your opponents weak in the knees for you, huh?!"

"I don't know who you are, but you wish." Osburn snarled.

He made an attempt at a punch, but I blocked it and when he tried again, I blocked again. I dug my clawed fingers into his knuckles until all that was left of his hands were a pair of half-broken, bloody messes that had him screaming and whimpering on the flour, so much so that I didn't need to hold him down anymore.

I stood up and considered kicking him, but decided against it; I won't kick someone when they're down like this. It's not my style.

So instead, I turned my full attention on the men in the area, going down on all 4s just to see if it would scare them anymore then I already did; looks like it worked. The men started trying to run away and spread out; I considered chasing them, but decided against it when I heard the sound of guns clicking.

"FREEZE! You are under arrest for suspicion of kidnapping, illegal experimentation, multiple rape assaults and murder!"

That was a woman's voice; it had the kind of authority in it someone needed to be in the military, but it wasn't a voice I recognized. So I decided it was time to boggy. I ran under one of the trucks and returned myself to my mostly human form, completely drained of energy.

That's what happens whenever I change into that form; I don't know if it's because I've never actually had proper training with it, but it's always so hard to control myself when I'm in that form. There are times when I feel like a bit of my human identity was slipping away from me when I was in that form and it scared me to be honest; that's why I don't use it very often.

"Hey, I think there's someone under here!"

I lifted my head slightly as I saw a body drop down and saw Cromwell there, looking ready to scream, "CELINA!"

I felt tears form in my eyes as I was pulled out from under the truck by her and Comet, then tugged into the woman's arms. I hugged her back and cried into her uniform, focusing solely on the feel of her gently rubbing my back and stroking my ears and hair.

"There, there, Celina," She whispered soothingly, rocking slightly, "It's okay, I've got you. I'm here. I'm here."

"Mom…" I whimpered and didn't try to correct myself since I really needed to stay in this illusion for a few moments, to believe Cromwell really was my mother and wouldn't be mad at me, "I hurt some bad people and I…"

"Hey, it's okay sweetie, I'm sure you didn't mean it." Cromwell continued to sooth me, holding me close, "And if you did mean it, then I'm sure they deserved it."

"The, the man on the flour with the black hair and bloody knuckles he," I didn't want to hold anything back, not to her, "he tried to rape me and I..."

I heard Comet gasp behind us, but Cromwell didn't leave me go, "It's okay, Celina. I promise you that I'm not mad and I also promise you that he'll get what he deserves."

I continued to cry as I was held in my 'mother's arms. I heard all the commotion around me, but I wasn't ready to leave the safety of her arms; I was too scared, to hurt to go back into the cruel reality I had created when I was in that form. I needed to stay with her, just for a while.

So I did.


	29. Jousting With A Higher-Up

The next time I was finally aware of my surroundings once again, it was because Cromwell's grip on me had slackened a bit. I felt a wave of panic surge through me and tightened my grip on her, completely unintentionally. I looked up at Cromwell, apologies in my eyes.

Cromwell gently started rubbing my ears down again, smiling softly, "Sweetie, I'm afraid I have to help out everyone else so we can get the girls to a safe place and the men to the prisons in Central. But don't worry, I'm not leaving you here alone, okay? Just look behind you."

I turned my head to see Edward, Alphonse, Anbra, Anand and Astrid standing behind me, looking more than a little shaken up, just glad to see me alive. I forced my body to calm down and slowly managed to loosen my grip on Cromwell enough to actually let go. And that alone probably took 6 minutes and the letting go bit 7. I am too damn lucky to have such a patient group of friends around me.

When I finally did manage to detach myself from Cromwell, Astrid and Anbra were at my side and holding me up with one of my arms over each of their shoulders and one of their arms each around my waist. We started heading for the Tower of Heaven, Edward, Alphonse and Anand falling into step behind us.

I was quiet for a long time, as was everyone else.

When I finally did speak, I wasn't sure about what I was saying, "Have any of you ever felt you turned into monsters because someone did something completely immoral and unforgivable and you hurt them back?"

I didn't expect an answer, much less from Ed, "I have once. Someone abandoned me, which lead to someone close to me dying and because I was so desperate to get them back, I nearly lost the one person who had always stayed at my side. I felt so guilty and depressed afterwards… I actually thought of suicide." I turned my head slightly, to see her smiling humorlessly, "But I managed to hold on because I had such great people around me to keep me grounded and someone new came into my life, which led to me gaining some strength back." Edward gave a real smile this time towards me, "I'm pretty sure you'll live through this if you lived through being turned into a Chimera."

I didn't realize I was starting to smile until I was talking again and looked around me at all the people supporting me, both physically and emotionally, "I'm sure I will, Ed. Thanks. In fact, thank you all, Anand, Astrid, Anbra, Alphonse and Edward. I'd also thank Cromwell, Nina, Comet, the Hughes, Alexander and Mustang if they were here, but I'll just do that later."

Anbra sighed, as if she had missed out on something, "Sounds to me like we all have a lot of catching up to do. I sure hope you've made some friends your own age because I'm in desperate need of a romantic partner right now, I don't care if they're a boy or a girl."

Astrid chuckled, "I just want to get back to making sure the kids at the Tower of Heaven get out of this cursed town and back into the real world, where they deserve a much better life."

Alphonse hummed, "Do you think there are any good orphanages in Central? I know it's not much and no offence girls, but it's better than this place."

"Or we could send them off to Youswell," Edward suggested, "Celina is the one who made a pen-pal there who can be trusted to take good care of them. And they don't mind Chimeras in the slightest."

I looked at Edward the same time she looked at me and then we started grinning as the idea registered in both our minds:

 _Youswell is the only town that can be trusted to willingly and completely accept humanoid Chimeras. Why not let the girls go there if they want to get a life again?_

* * *

When we offered this suggestion to the man who'd been placed in charge of the investigation, some man named Major General Hakuro, he acted horribly.

"Allow the Chimeras to return to civilization?" Hakuro sounded appalled, but still laughed, "Kid, do you really think it's a good idea to let the public know about humanoid Chimeras? What if they end up causing a civil war because they can't forgive the humans who mistreated them so? That would be a lot of blood on your hands, wouldn't it be?"

I snarled at the man, "Well, what do you suppose we do with the girls, _Sir_?"

Sarcasm probably wasn't a good option right now, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let these girls go through military hell, they've already been through enough as it is. Considering the emotions I felt coming from Cromwell, Comet, Edward and Alphonse as they stood behind me, I'm pretty sure they can agree with me on that one.

Hakuro pretended to think about it, "Well, we could place them in a lab for study and have the scientists explain to us how they managed to do this."

WHAT?!

I slammed my hands on the bastard's desk, "HOW COULD YOU SUGGEST SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

"They're just innocent girls, they don't deserve this!" Comet hissed.

"And those damned scientists are the ones who traumatized and raped them and others like them to the point of death!" Cromwell was clearly out-raged, "They even tried to rape my daughter here!"

"How can you look the other way for something like that?!" Alphonse asked, sounded frightened inside the armour.

"Answer us, General!" Edward finished, snarling.

Hakuro sighed as if he was dealing with children, "These Chimeras are perfect blends of humans and animals and it would be such a waste to not take a deeper look into this. Besides, do you really think they can go back to living the lives they had? Their humanity has been taken from them in exchange for animal instincts and perhaps even the cures for some of the worst deceases in the world."

"Cut the crap, bastard," I growled, "you just wanna use them for your own gain because you wanna look good for his oh-so-fucking Excellency, Führer Bradley!"

"Indeed." Hakuro nodded, "it would be in my best interests to get in on the Führer's good graces once again, considering the humiliations I've been through the past few years."

"But, even if they're not entirely human by body," Edward snarled, "they still have feelings! They've already suffered enough, it's not fair!"

Hakuro's eyes suddenly darkened, "News flash, kid. Life isn't fair. These girls got themselves in this mess by being the whores they are, it's not my fault that there's nothing I can do for them n-"

My rage had gotten the better of me before I realized what I was doing; I had tried to jump over his desk to smash that damned look off his face, only to be held back by Cromwell while Comet held Edward back.

But that didn't stop my screaming, "YOU BASTARD, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HELL, WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF THEY DESERVE THIS OR NOT?! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TREAT THEM LIKE WHORES JUST BECAUSE THEY AREN'T FULLY HUMAN ANYMORE?! WHAT GIVES A BASTARD LIKE YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE THE FATE OF A BUNCH OF INNOCENT GIRLS YOU DEEM WON'T FIT IN WITH SOCIETY WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT FOR SURE?!"

SLAP!

Cromwell gasped and released me after Hakuro struck my face enough to force my head to turn. Instead, she turned me around and started fussing over me; but her concerns feel on deaf ears. She turned back to Hakuro and started screaming at him, demanding why he slapped her daughter like that, he had no right to do such a thing, but all Hakuro said was;

"If you don't shut up, insolent woman, you'll be getting smacked to."

That had been the last straw-

BANG!

But before I could react, a gun-fire got me to snap out of my rage induced phase and I turned my head to see another man walking into the tent with-

"Major Hughes?!" Alphonse exclaimed in shock.

I focused on the man beside him; he was wearing the uniform of a Lieutenant General, one rank above Hakuro. He had brown hair in curls on his head, bright blue eyes and deeply tanned skin.

"Lieutenant General Arschloch," Hakuro stood at attention and saluted the man, "I didn't expect you to come here."

Arschloch glared at the man before him, "At east, Hakuro. Would you please tell me what's going on in here-"

Hakuro opened his mouth, "Well you see-"

"I wasn't asking you, Hakuro." Hakuro's moth slammed shut, "I was going to ask Sargent Major Comet."

Comet saluted her commanding officer's superior, "Sir, we were discussing what to do about the Chimera girls. The Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward Elric and his companions, Alphonse Elric and Celina Tucker, along with myself and Second Lieutenant Cromwell wanted to suggest the Chimera girls to go to the Youswell Mining Frontier Town in the East since Celina has some acquaintances there who she trusts will take care of the Chimeras. General Hakuro disagreed with us and wanted to send the Chimeras and their creatures to a lap in Central to have them working under us as researchers. We all objected, Celina rather brutally and called the General a bastard and demanded what gave him the right to condemn the Chimeras to such a horrible fate."

"Because they don't deserve to be put in some lab with the same damn people who raped and traumatized them and thousands others to the point of death!" I snapped without thinking.

I was mostly ignored though; instead, they focused on Comet, "The General slapped Celina, which lead Cromwell to demand the General why he treated the girl in such a manner. General Hakuro directly threatened to smack Cromwell if she didn't shut up and that was when we heard gun-fire and you stepped into the tent, Lieutenant General Arschloch, with Major Hughes at your side."

"I see." Arschloch looked towards me, "I see you have the evidence of the slap on your face, if that bruise is anything to go by."

"What?" Cromwell asked, voice shaky.

She kneeled in front of me and gasped slightly, "Celina, how are you not crying? That's a massive bruise, it must feel horrible."

"No, no, I'm fine, Cromwell." I smiled, waving my hand slightly, "My body and spirit maybe tough, but my face bruises really easily. I'm okay, really, I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks."

Cromwell had tears appearing in her eyes so I did the only thing I could, I hugged her. Cromwell hugged me back just as tight and repeatedly started whispering 'sorry'. I patted her on her back in an attempt to help her calm down, but I'm not sure if it was helping or making things worst since she started crying even harder and hugging me a bit tighter.

For a while, all that was heard was Cromwell's sobbing and me attempting to sooth her with some words of comfort.

Then Arschloch spoke up, "I'd like a word in private with you, Celina Tucker."

"With all due respect, Lieutenant General," I stated, gesturing to the closest to a mother I've ever had, sobbing in my arms, "Cromwell is like a mother to me and I'd rather not abandon her in her moment of need since she never did that to me, period."

Arschloch nodded, "I understand. Major Hughes," Hughes stood slightly straighter, "I'm going to find a suitable place to stay. You think you can handle things here. As for you, Hakuro," Hakuro stiffened, "you're needed back in Central, that's why I'm here to take your place."

Hakuro looked like he was going to protest but nodded and walked past us, snapping me and Comet a dirty look. We glared back at him and my grip on Cromwell tightened a bit. Hakuro scoffed and went Arschloch gave him a pointed look, he huffed and walked away, shoving Hughes' shoulder.

Cromwell finally calmed down a bit, enough to stop whispering sorry, instead she pulled away from me slightly, "I'm okay, Celina. Really, I'm okay. You can let go now."

I let go and let her stand up, whipping her eyes as she stood, "Geez, it's the mother's job to be the shoulder to cry on, not the daughter's."

I huffed, "Please, you and me are about as emotional as they get, so it's understandable if we take turns being the shoulder to cry on. Isn't that what family is all about?"

Cromwell was shocked for a few moments, then she smiled and nodded, "You're right, Celina. I love you, honey."

I was shocked at the admission, but smiled and looked at her like the stars were worthless with her next to them, "I love you too, Mom."

Cromwell seemed shocked as well, but just started crying and hugged me the same way I would hug Nina when she did something adorable, "OH YOU'RE SO CUTE, CELINA, THANK YOU!"

"Ahh, Mom, you're crushing me!" I squirmed, laughing, "Put me down!"

"NEVER!" Cromwell-no, she's Mom now-cried, "It would be a sin to let such an adorably sweet and innocent being such as yourself make anymore necessary contact with this evil world! I'll never let you go again!"

I squealed and squirmed, laughing just as everyone around me was.

 _It was a nice change for people to be laughing then for people to be crying._


	30. Return to Youswell

**AN: Okay guys, this is probably going to be the one chapter before the last one and I wanna thank you all for sticking with me for this since this is the first proper, multi-chapter story I'd have ever completed in my life. Ever.**

 **Kudos for me!**

 **Anyway, I haven't finished it yet, so just hang on everyone, because as soon as the next chapter is up, we'll be heading for Liore in a whole new story!**

 **See ya there!**

* * *

After talking to the Hallings about the situation and they got back to me after talking to the rest of the miners about letting the Chimeras live with them (which they all completely agreed with), it was time to ask Hughes and Arschloch if it was okay; which they both agreed it was, as long as the girls didn't cause any trouble.

Now it was time to offer the girls themselves the chance to live in society again.

All the girls were being kept in rooms at the Tower of Heaven since it was literally the only 'livable' place in the entire town. But I had called them all into the 'council room' to present them my offer. Currently, the girls were chatting among each other, their ears/tails/whatever else they got in plain sight and wearing clothes that didn't make them look like sluts while I sat on a chair, ready to talk, just wanting to give them a chance to chatter before speaking up.

"Okay everyone, quiet please, I have an important announcement to make." I called as I stood up on the chair, trying to make sure that everyone could hear me.

When everyone had quietened down, I spoke again, "I'm sure you're all wondering, 'what's going to happen to us now?' or something along those lines, right?"

The Bear-Chimera with the violet eyes and blonde high-lights snorted, "Oh trust me, girly, we know what's gonna happen to us. We're going to get shoved in a lab and get pocked and prodded at, maybe even raped a few times in exchange for privileges, until the day they either decide they don't need us anymore or we die."

The girls started murmuring again and I raised my voice slightly, "ACTUALLY, I have some friends in the circle of the Higher-Ups and after talking to them, they've decided they're going to give you a choice. Lab Rats, or become citizens of the Youswell Coal Mining Frontier Town."

The girls gasped and whispered more frantically among each other and a girl with brown hair and minx ears raised her hand.

I pointed at her, "Yes, what is it you want to as, Miss?"

"Why are they offering to send us to a Mining town?" Fear was evident in her eyes, "Are we going to be used as whores for the miners there?"

I was appalled at the mere suggestion, "Dear Gate, no! I have some friends in Youswell who I know will treat you all without judgement because they're accustom to Humanoid-Chimeras somewhat since I visit them often. I even have a pen-pal there who I exchange letters with every week and I know the people in that town won't treat any of you like whores, either!"

A girl with black bat ears and small wings on her back raised her hand, "Why are they even offering us this option? It would be much less hassle for the military if they just keep us in cages and even less hassle to just kill us all."

"Because not everyone in that army is heartless." I stated, memories of Hakuro and Tucker coming to mind, but also memories of Hughes, Cromwell, Mustang and his unit, Comet, "There are some decant people in that army; it's those decent people who decided that I didn't need to die. They also decided you didn't need to die either. They agreed with me when I told them you deserve better than just dying because you weren't fully human anymore. So, they've agreed to give you a choice of what you want. So, will you take the chance to be in an accepting society again, killed or will you let them send you to a lab with heartless scientists in it, waiting to get their hands on your bodies and the secrets they hold?"

The girls looked among each other and I let them think it over.

* * *

A mere 3 days later, the girls were on a train heading straight for Youswell, me with them so I could help with the meet and greet. Astrid, Anbra and a few of the other kids from the Tower of Heaven had wanted to come as well since they wanted to help their new friends get settled in.

Currently, I was sitting with Astrid, Anbra, Anand, Alphonse, Edward and Mom in the same booth, near the front of the car where all the girls were smiling and looking at the world through the train windows in wonder, especially the kids. It made me smile to see them all so happy.

"Looks like Mother Judy's wish to have her children see the world is finally starting to come true, huh?" Anbra asked as she sat across from me.

I nodded, looking as some of the kids started being a bit rough with each other; which had Comet coming over to act as the big, responsible, older sister, "It sure as hell is. They deserve it as much as we do."

"True." Astrid agreed beside me, "If Judy was alive right now, I think she'd either be where Comet is, or crying her eyes out."

I chuckled, "Absolutely! She was always so emotional, but that was one of the things that made you like her, even if it made her more than a bit whinny."

Anand chuckled, "Sounds like she was an amazing woman."

I nodded, "She was a one of a kind teacher and took on a motherly role for nearly everyone she meets. She even had a daughter of her own who would probably be Cromwell's age right now if she's still alive; which I'm sure she is since that girl sure was a spit fire and a real kicker. She was an alchemist too and the main teacher at the place, if memory serves right." A thought appeared and then I turned to Anbra, "Speaking of, what happened to Zu-chan anyway?"

Anbra shrugged slightly, "After Judy died, she said she was going so up North so she could learn more about Alchemy from some Silver-Toothed Alchemist, I think?"

"Anbra, the Alchemist's name wasn't Silver-Tooth, he was Silver Steiner." Astrid corrected, gently, "Zu said he was known as a legend and now that she was 18, she was going to learn from him what she could so she could finally fulfill her dream of seeing the world just as her mother before her and as we never had the chance to. And we all teased her about bringing home a man, but all she'd ever say was:"

Astrid, Anbra and I snorted as we quoted our biggest sister, "HA! As if any man could take me and my wild heart!"

"Hey, do you think she's had kids of her own yet?" I asked, turning to Ed and Al, "She always said she wanted to be a mother without the hassle of all that 'falling in love crap'. They'd probably be about the same age as Ed and Al if she has had kids. Unless she adopted, then they could be any age under 35."

"Hey, we're almost there!" Alphonse called, looking out the window.

I grinned and shoved my head out the window just like I had before and I saw what looked like a large group of people ready to greet us at the station.

"And we've got a little welcome home party waiting for us down there!" I yelled over the roaring of the winds.

I felt myself being yanked in with the tugging on Anand's hoodie that I still hadn't given back to him and heard Edward yelling, "Get your damn head back in here, moron, or do you want to lose an eye?!"

I scowled at her, "Spoil sport." But decided to stay inside anyway, someone needs to do all the introductions and such.

10 minutes later, the train had stopped and everyone was starting to gather up their things while I stood at the end of the cart, "OKAY EVERYONE! We're in Youswell now, so get ready for your new lives with the Coal Miners! Everyone here is fairly kind and open minded, so please don't worry if your first impression sucks because you can make plenty better ones!"

I hoped off the train first and smiled at everyone as they yelled out greetings. Once everyone had settled down a bit, I smiled.

"People of Youswell!" I called, grabbing the door handle, "May I present to you, your newest additions," I opened the door, "the lovely Chimera ladies of Rayerk!"

The Chimera girls started climbing out of the train one by one and the crowd eventually spread out enough for you to see individual groups of Humans and Chimeras talking completely casually and everything looks like it's going okay for once.

The Haling family were approaching just as my friends got off the train and I decided I needed to personally introduce Anbra to Kyle. So, I did.

I ran over to Anbra, grabbed her arm and started dragging her over to Kyle, who was approaching fast.

"Hey, Celina!" Kyle yelled as he got closer, "How are you?"

I smirked, "I'm fine, thanks Kyle," then I stepped aside and sorta pulled Anbra in front of me, "This is my very best friend from my childhood named Anbra!" I moved so I was standing in front of Anbra and I gestured to Kyle behind me, "and this is my pen-pal from Youswell, Kyle Haling. I hope you two get along now!"

With one final push from me, I ran off into the town and watched from my little hiding place Kyle and Anbra acting all cutesy and lovey-dovey around each other. I could practically hear He Is We and Owl City singing "It's All About Us".

"I can't wait for the wedding." I giggled.


	31. The End of the Beginning

By the time night came, all the girls were either living with a family or in an Inn and I wasn't surprised when Anbra asked if she could stay for a little while. It was incredibly difficult not to say something like 'Make sure you use protect!' or something when I was waving goodbye at my friends at the train station. The only Chimera girl besides me who wasn't staying in Youswell was Astrid because she felt she needed to go back to the Tower of Heaven so she could help look after everyone.

But we had to go to Central and East City first since we needed to drop Hughes and his group and then to East City so we could report in with Mustang and get our next assignment. Anand decided he wanted to stay with us since his mother lived in Fexeif and well, right now, it's just us on the train.

And by us, I mean Edward, Alphonse, Astrid, Anand and me. It was kinda the middle of the night and everyone else was asleep except me. I just can't sleep when I'm on a train and my instincts are always more aggressive after I take on my Chimera form. So, I decided to do something.

* * *

A few minutes later, I'm in the back of the train, watching the world race away from me, but when I looked up, I could see the sky staying loyally still and quiet, only moving enough to keep up with me, but it's presence a constant reassurance.

Reminded me of a lot of things, thinking like that did.

Like how this world is bustling all around us, minding it's own business while we struggle individually to keep up with it. But when we start to be positive and look up, we can see our futures before us, waiting for us and moving at a pace we can keep up with; all we gotta do, is put in enough effort to follow it as it leads us to whoever knows where.

"Couldn't sleep?"

I turned my head to Anand and smiled at him, "Something like that, yeah. What was keeping you up?"

Anand shrugged and moved to stand next to me, resting his arms on the railing, "I just had a feeling I was needed for something."

A thought came to mind and I smirked, "You are, actually."

Anand turned to me, but I just grinned and started taking off his hoodie.

"Wh-wha-w-what?!" Anand continued on with his stuttering and it was making me laugh on the inside, "Look, umm, Celina, you're a very, ummm, pretty girl and I, well you'll make the right guy happy and, umm-"

I finally couldn't take it anymore and just laughed out loud as I held out his hoodie for him, "I didn't want to screw you, man, I just wanted to give you your hoodie back!" I went on laughing for a few moments then stopped, smirking.

Anand's face was still completely beat red and he was still in a stance where he had been using his hands to try to explain a point, but the frantic movements had completely stopped now.

Face still red, he looked me in the eye, "You sure? It is kinda cold tonight."

I snorted, "Maybe, but me, I like the cold and besides, who ever said it's always the guy who has to give up his jacket for the girl? I hate stupid stereotypes like that and besides, it's yours in the first place, so it only makes sense I give it back to you."

Anand still seemed surprised but he took the hoodie back anyway and put it on. He went back to leaning on the railing like he had before and I noticed he wasn't shivering as much as he had to begin with and I decided now was as good a time as any to ask him.

"Why were you in Rayerk in the first place? And how did you find the place all the Chimera girls and me were trapped in?" I questioned.

Anand seemed a little surprised with the questions, but then turned his attention back to the moon and began speaking, "You see, I sometimes like to go out of Fexeif on my own and travel in the surrounding area a bit; my mother Amy tells me I got it from my father."

"And she lets you go on these trips?" I asked, surprised.

Anand nodded, "As long as I always promise to come home, safe and sound to tell her what new things I found out about the world. Mom loves it when I go out and see the country, something she's too sick to do. She says that she loves seeing it through my eyes and it makes her remember days when she was happier."

"Not that I don't wanna hear about your mother, but anyway…" I said, "I did ask why and how, so you think you can get back to that."

"Oh, right, sorry." He chuckled slightly as he went back to look at the sky, "Anyway, yeah. I was on one of my journeys, this one had landed me heading for Rayerk but when I got near the town, I didn't go in just yet when I saw the trucks and soldiers. I circled the town and found what looked like a hidden tunnel that just so happened to be occupied by those scientists, you and the other girls. I heard crying and being the kind person I am, I went to see if I could help and I ended up finding you."

I smiled, "Oh, so you're a travelholic, are you? It's fine, me and the Elrics are the same. You think you could tell me more about your mother, now?"

Anand smiled and looked towards the moon and I felt myself edge just a bit closer so I could hear him clearer, "My Mom's kinda had a hard time, to be honest. When my dad, Jaan, died in the Ishvalan war and my Mom feel into a depression and she had a hard time raising me since she could hardly look after herself. But everyone in Fexeif is so _helpful_ and _understanding_ ," he poured a lot of emotion into those two words, "all they cared about was helping my Mom out when they could, they didn't give a damn I was half Ishvalan. Some of the villagers actually considered my Dad a friend, so that helped me out a lot. Recently, my Mom's been getting better and trying to help out as much as she can. She even managed to cook a meal for both of us after my last trip, which is something she hasn't done for years and this is really good because she loves cooking and her food is great!" His excited eyes had turned to me, "Maybe you should come over for dinner some time!"

I laughed and nodded, "Sure, I'd really love that! Your Mom sounds like an interesting character, I'm sure I'll like her."

Anand's smiled turned positively grand and bright, "Great! She really likes Thylacines, so I'm sure she'll love you!"

"You're kidding?" I really was surprised.

"No joke," Anand nodded, still grinning like that, "That's why I recognized your ears when I saw them and didn't freak out. Moms got a few paintings of Thylacines around the house, some videos she and my Dad made and a few pictures, too."

"That's amazing." I really was impressed, then a thought appeared, "You think us meeting was like, Fate or something?"

Anand laughed and looked to the moon again, "Don't know, but if so, thank you, Lady Fate!"

I also laughed and turned to the moon, calling up, "Thanks, Lady Fate!"

The two of us laughed a little more and that was when I think we finally noticed it; we were standing so close, practically shoulder to shoulder and it didn't bother either of us. In fact…

"You sure you're not cold?" Anand asked, practically dissolving the space between us.

I shook my head and moved a little bit so I was that much close to him, "I feel warm enough with you next to me."

Anand smiled and threw an arm over my shoulders, holding me closer. I allowed myself to be held close and responded by resting my left hand on his hand that was on my right arm, curling my fingers around it and holding it right there.

Screw if we looked like a couple, it was just nice to be close to someone like this for once since:

1-Ed hated hugs and whenever I got one, it was one of those 'Please tell me your there' hugs from when she'd wake up after a nightmare or something.

2-Al didn't hug me period because he never knew how to do with because of the height difference.

3-Mom's hugs are crushing but love-able and adorable all the same.

4-Comet doesn't hug people. Period.

5-I won't let anyone else except Astrid and Anbra hug me.

So yeah; it was nice to be hugged like this, just for the simple human desire of wanting to be near someone and to feel a person's warmth. It was a nice feeling to be pulled closer rather then pushed away.

 _I can't imagine how Al feels, not knowing the warmth of another body beside his, even if skin on metal contact is made._

I hated it when thoughts like that got to me because they made me worry that my brain was trying to make me lose hope in finding a way to give Alphonse a human body again; but that would just get my heart beating harder and getting blood pumping through my veins faster, making me determined to ensure that one day, thoughts like those wouldn't exist.

 _Alphonse will have his body back, one day. As Edward will have her arm and leg someday._

I felt all of Anand's weight suddenly appearing at my side and that was when I noticed he was standing up and sleeping at the same time. I laughed a little bit and put him on my back, chuckling even more as he snuggled up and circled his arms around me stomach, probably a subconscious action I think.

I walked back into the train to where our seats were waiting for us, still cold, hard and empty just like the rest of the seats that, hours ago, had been occupied by laughing and smiling Chimeras. I tried setting Anand down, but his arms seem to have decided they weren't gonna let so, so I sighed.

"You're so clingy, Anand." I chuckled and sat beside him, placing my arms over his and smiling, "That's okay, though, because I am, too."

I cuddled in a bit closer to Anand and I felt his arms tighten a little bit and his head that was resting on my shoulder tickling my neck with his breathing. I snorted a little and moved his head so I was the one on his shoulder and he was the one with his head on my forehead; I hope his neck won't be too cramped by morning.

I closed my eyes and focused on his pulse right next to my ears, beating strong and proud; good, one should be proud to have made it this far in this world alive.

And I fell asleep like that.

* * *

The next morning, I ended up waking up first and ordering everyone some breakfast while waiting for everyone to wake up. Luckily, Anand woke up first so no one saw we'd been clinging to each other last night; I personally wouldn't have cared much if we'd been seen but I couldn't speak for Anand so it was definitely for the best.

As soon as our food got here, Edward and Astrid woke up and I helped snap Alphonse out of this state of meditation we'd practiced.

You see, when I found out Alphonse couldn't sleep, I tried thinking of things that could compensate for that, and I remembered a character in a book I'd once read; he had been a skeleton detective/sorcerer who couldn't sleep either, but he would go into these mediation states to let his consciousness rest and that was the closest he'd ever gotten to sleeping; I think. I was only 7 when I started reading the series and I don't read books again once I've read them.

Anyway, I thought that if we tried it with Alphonse, it might work since their bodily situations weren't all that different (can't sleep, eat, feel pain, but can feel emotions, use special skills, have a conscious). And luckily it worked. While it isn't quit sleep, it's better than nothing and Alphonse seems to really like it.

But anyway, yeah, after we ate breakfast, we realized we were in East City and were hopping off the train, only to be greeted by Breda at the station.

"Second Lieutenant Breda?" Edward exclaimed in shock when she saw him.

"Long time no see, kid." Breda greeted us, then turned his attention to Astrid, who was wearing a sun-hat to hid her ears; he blinked but, then just smiled and offered his hand, "Heymans Breda, it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Astrid smiled and shook hands with him, "Astrid at your service, Mr. Breda and I'm afraid that's all I have to give, but it's no less of a pleasure to meet you."

"Astrid is a friend of mine from when I used to live in Rayerk." I explained, standing so I was right at her side, "She's like a big sister to me, so make sure you keep Mustang off her when I'm not around, okay, Breda?"

He nodded and his smile widened just a fraction, "Don't worry, Mustang won't even look at her funny considering what's happening today."

That got everyone to raise an eye brow.

"What's happening today?" Anand asked, right by my side.

Breda's eyes shone with mischief, "It's his birthday and he's having an awful lot of trouble trying to get away from the horde of fan-girls all over East City trying to shove their gifts and themselves down his throat."

I could very easily picture that and so could Ed, it seemed, because both of us started laughing our assess off while Alphonse tried scolding us for being so mean to the Coronal, but Astrid and Anand just stood there, a little bit clueless probably and are thinking 'wtf'.

* * *

After dropping a few things off at the dorms, Ed and Al went to get our next assignment while I gave Astrid and Anand a tour of East City. We were currently at a small café where we'd gotten a strawberry cheese cake between us and a different drink each; I'd gotten cranberry and raspberry juice, Anand was going for apple and Astrid has non-alcoholic ginger beer.

"Wow, I never thought I'd be this relived to just sit down." Astrid sighed, "I don't think I've walked that much in my entire life."

"Are you kidding?" Anand asked, eyes wide, "That was a walk in the park!"

I snickered, "I have to agree with him on that one, Astrid. You need to start working out if you wanna keep up with us."

Astrid sighed, "No I don't, you youngsters just have too much energy to spare."

For a moment, there was silence as we all took off another slice of our cheesecake, then Astrid asked, "So, is Breda single?"

I chocked for a moment and after pounding my chest for a few moments, I looked at the blushing Astrid, who had probably said that without thinking, "Yeah and while he isn't a man-whore like Mustang, I think he's okay with the occasional date. You like him that much, already?"

Astrid was still blushing, "Well, it would be a nice change to go on a date with someone who didn't have a drug addiction or just expect me to sleep with him for a free meal right after I meet him."

"I know what you mean," I sighed, "there isn't a damn decent guy in all of Rayerk. But I'm afraid I have no idea when Breda's ever free and when you have a job with the military, you never know."

Astrid nodded, "But, I…"

I smiled and pat her on the back, "No problem, sis, I'll do some investigating for you and then you can ask him out."

"But, what about things at the Tower of Heaven?" She asked.

I continued to smile, "You don't have to worry about that, I'm more then sure everything's okay down there. Besides, even the damned Führer gets his holiday, so why can't you?"

"And if you want, I could look after things down there for you." Anand offered, "You just stay here for a while and be with Breda and don't worry about a thing."

"You'd really do that for me, guys?" Astrid asked, surprised.

We both nodded, "Totally!"

"You're like a sister to me and you've been looking after people your entire childhood and adult life; just take a break and be with someone you somewhat like for once, Astrid!" I ordered, grinning.

"You've also been kind to me and I'm a pretty good judge of character; you more than deserve this, so just go for it!" Anand stated.

Astrid looked like she was about to cry, but before she could start, I smirked, "Besides, I've always wanted to be an Aunt."

And I teased Astrid with things like that for the entire time it took us to finish our cheese cake.

* * *

The next day, after setting Astrid up on a date with Breda and helping Anand get on a train to Fexeif so he could get to Rayerk from there, I was meeting up with the Elrics at the train station for our next lead on the stone.

Finally they arrived and I grinned at them, "So, where to, boys?"

"Some town named Liore where a priest is apparently bringing the dead back to life." Edward stated.

I felt my eyes widen at that, "You're kidding, right?!"

"We don't know if they're rumors or not, but it's worth checking out, right?" Alphonse asked.

I nodded, in total agreement with my armored friend, "Then let's get our asses on a train there already!"

 _With that, we were on another journey to another place, not knowing what was waiting for us around the bend…_

 _But whatever it was, we were gonna face it together, like we always have._

 _That is what it means to be friends after all, right?_


End file.
